Antisemitism and Racism in the NHS: Mann Review

Today I am publishing the outcome of Lord Mann’s review into antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS, alongside the Government response.

The review was commissioned in October 2025 to examine how the NHS, employers and UK health regulators identify, report and respond to antisemitism and other forms of racism, and to ensure that both patients and staff are better protected from discrimination and abuse. The Government welcome the publication of the review and are grateful to Lord Mann for his detailed and thorough work. We have considered the recommendations in full and our response sets out in clear terms that we are fully supportive of all the recommendations in the Mann report.

In the wake of a series of horrific attacks on the Jewish community across the country, the Government are clear that tackling antisemitism is the responsibility of the whole of society—including the health service.

The review finds that racism, including antisemitism, remains a persistent issue within the NHS and wider society, with discrimination affecting both staff and patients, undermining confidence in services and the experience of care. It finds that unacceptable levels of antisemitism have led to extreme consequences, with some Jewish patients reporting not wishing to present for treatment, and Jewish staff considering leaving the NHS. The review is equally clear that other forms of racism and discrimination against NHS patients and staff are at unacceptable levels, and that NHS employers are the first line of defence and must be taking urgent action.

Lord Mann’s report sets out a comprehensive set of recommendations to strengthen accountability, improve reporting and investigation processes, and embed an anti-racist culture across the health system. These include:

Strengthening leadership accountability for tackling racism, including through the NHS oversight framework and the forthcoming staff standards;

Improving the quality and transparency of data, including through the workforce race equality standard;

Enhancing processes for reporting and investigating incidents, including clearer national guidance and improved capability;

Ensuring greater consistency across professional regulators in addressing racism; and

Strengthening training and development, including mandatory education on racism and cultural competence for NHS leaders and staff.

The review also emphasises the importance of clear definitions of racism to support consistent understanding and action across the system.

As part of the Government response to this review, today I am also asking NHS England to adopt the UK Government definition of anti-Muslim hostility and set clear expectations that every trust, integrated care board and arm’s length body does the same, as part of our wider efforts to tackle all forms of racism and religious hatred in the NHS. Use of this definition will support more consistent identification, reporting and response to anti-Muslim hostility across health and care sectors.