Jewish Patient Feared for Her Life After Surgeon Wore Palestinian Flag Badge

A Jewish woman undergoing surgery at Royal Free Hospital in Belsize Park, London, on August 25, 2025, reported feeling “extremely distressed” after noticing her surgeon wearing a lanyard with a Palestinian flag badge, prompting legal action by UK Lawyers for Israel against the Royal Free London NHS Trust. The patient, fearing potential harm, told the legal group, “I found it extremely stressful to be treated by this doctor, given her blatant political views.”

The advocacy group accused the hospital of breaching Section 29(3) of the Equality Act 2010, arguing that such displays create “an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” for Jewish patients. They further claimed the badge signaled “support for the Palestinian cause, and conversely, opposition to the State of Israel,” violating General Medical Council rules by prioritizing political views over patient care. “It is important that hospital staff abide by the principles of political neutrality, as not doing so can harm vulnerable patients. We hope that the hospital staff who break these rules and blatantly display their political affiliations will be appropriately disciplined,” the lawyers wrote in a letter to trust leaders.

David Crampsey, Royal Free’s chief executive, responded, “Concerns were being looked into, and the trust will consider any appropriate action having done so.” This incident follows similar controversies at other London hospitals, where pro-Palestinian symbols worn by staff led to distress among Jewish patients. Earlier in 2025, Health Secretary Wes Streeting banned such displays at five major NHS hospitals, St Bart’s, Mile End, Newham, Royal London, and Whipps Cross, after incidents like a Jewish woman encountering three staff members with pro-Palestinian badges during a caesarean at Whipps Cross and a receptionist at Royal London wearing a T-shirt depicting a keffiyeh over Israel’s map. With anti-Semitic incidents in the UK rising 68% since October 2023, per Community Security Trust data, these events highlight growing tensions over political expressions in healthcare settings, raising questions about neutrality and patient safety.