“He Was Holding a Scalpel, I Panicked”: Jewish Patients and Staff Report Antisemitism in British Hospitals

A new report published this week in Britain presents a series of accounts of antisemitism, threats, and harassment targeting Jews in the country’s public health care system. The report, published by the Campaign Against Antisemitism under the title “Malignant: Antisemitism in the National Health Service (NHS),” is also at the center of an investigation published today (Tuesday) in the Daily Telegraph.

One of the most troubling accounts comes from Saul Freeman, a Jewish patient who said that a senior surgeon made antisemitic remarks while performing a surgical procedure on him. According to Freeman, as the doctor cut the skin on his forehead with a scalpel, he referred to the war in Gaza: “The war in Gaza is continuing, they are still killing children there. You would think they would have learned lessons by now after what happened to them in Europe.” When Freeman asked whom he meant, the surgeon replied: “The Jews.”

Freeman said: “The man is holding a knife and operating on me. This is the most vulnerable situation a patient can be in with a doctor. I had a real panic attack, because I did not know whether he might harm me deliberately.”

The report includes additional cases: A Jewish nurse was given a Nazi salute by a colleague, who confirmed that he did it intentionally and remained in his position; a senior professor received threats of physical harm and damage to his property; and a Jewish emergency services worker was physically attacked by a colleague.

According to the data, one-third of British Jews who used NHS services since October 2023 felt uncomfortable because of their identity, while more than 40% concealed their Jewish identity out of fear of discrimination or harm to their care.

Following Freeman’s complaint, Dr. Jane McNicholas, chief medical officer of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, said the incident was being investigated urgently and that the institution takes the allegations seriously and will act in accordance with its findings. At the same time, leaders of organizations called on authorities and health system leadership to act immediately against the extremist culture in medical institutions and ensure safe, equal service for every citizen.

The current report is being published just months after the British Medical Association (BMA) voted to end the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism throughout the National Health Service (NHS).

In the motion approved at the BMA’s annual general meeting in June, it was argued that the IHRA definition has a “chilling effect” on political freedom of expression and prevents NHS doctors from expressing “ethical concerns regarding Israel’s actions in Palestine.”

The motion also called for “urgent guidance and support for members facing disciplinary proceedings or professional harm for expressing legitimate political views or ethical concerns relating to international conflicts, including the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”

According to the Jewish Chronicle, the BMA explained at the time that the decision reflected the “frustration of the organization’s members,” who believe their ability to criticize Israel “is under threat.”