The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling on NHS England to immediately pause the implementation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism across NHS organizations, pending legal opinion.
The call follows a motion passed at the BMA's Annual Representative Meeting in June 2026, calling for an investigation into the use of the definition, arguing that it may restrict free expression by healthcare workers.
In a letter to Sir Jim Mackey, the Chief Executive of NHS England, the BMA pointed out that there is no legal requirement on NHS organizations to adopt the IHRA definition, yet trusts have been strongly encouraged to implement it and report back to NHS England by the end of July 2026.
In the letter, the BMA argues the rollout is going ahead without proper assessment of its practical and legal implications for employers and staff, and without clear guidance on how it should be applied. The BMA therefore calls for a pause to the rollout, pending proper safeguards being put in place, consultation and legal advice.
The letter also points to a legal opinion from four senior lawyers, commissioned and circulated to trust chief executives by law firm Leigh Day, which sets out the risks facing NHS England and individual employers if the definition is adopted without adequate safeguards.
Health Workers 4 Palestine demand IHRA's antisemitism definition to be dropped
The Leigh Day advisory opinion was commissioned by Health Workers 4 Palestine.
The Leigh Day lawyers said that antisemitism is already prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and that the IHRA definition creates "difficult questions for NHS organizations at a time when many healthcare workers are expressing concern about Israel's conduct in Gaza."
BMA’s deputy chair of Council Dr Emma Runswick cited this opinion, adding that “NHS staff must be able to work in environments free from harassment and be able to engage in legitimate political and ethical debate."
"We urge any hospital trust that has already adopted the definition to review its safeguards and pause if these are found lacking.”
The BMA wants to discuss its concerns with NHS England urgently and, in the letter, asks NHS England to confirm that the implementation timetable will be paused.
Antisemitism reported in the NHS
This comes only months after the publication of the UK government advisor on antisemitism Lord John Mann’s review of antisemitism in the NHS.
As part of the review, Mann heard that Jewish people in the NHS experience “routine ostracism”, with Jewish staff being the only religious group in the latest NHS Staff Survey for whom discrimination from colleagues is rising rather than falling, resulting in some considering leaving the NHS.
He found that antisemitism extends to patients, too, as some Jewish patients reported they did not wish to present for treatment or put off receiving important care.
“It is well-evidenced that racism is persistent in the NHS,” Mann said, adding that “the case for taking action to combat antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS is clear.