UK Islamic Medical Association Warns of Rising Islamophobia in Health Sector

UK Islamic Medical Association Warns of Rising Islamophobia in Health Sector
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The Islamic Medical Association of Britain has warned of what it described as a troubling rise in Islamophobia within the UK healthcare system, calling for urgent action to protect Muslim staff and patients and expressing frustration over what it says has been a lack of official response to earlier concerns.

In a statement, the association said it had sent formal letters to senior health officials highlighting an increase in anti-Muslim incidents affecting employees and patients within the National Health Service (NHS). It urged authorities to take clear and immediate steps to address discrimination and ensure healthcare environments remain safe, inclusive and free from religious prejudice.

The association said its previous attempts to raise the issue received little engagement from senior decision-makers, describing the apparent inaction as alarming and inconsistent with the responsibility to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of both staff and patients.

It also pointed to a recent incident at a teaching hospital in Leeds, where a copy of the Quran and a religious display were vandalised in the hospital’s faith centre. The incident sparked widespread concern and was cited as a clear example of anti-Muslim hostility. Health authorities condemned the act, stating such behaviour has no place in healthcare settings.

Reports from Muslim organisations in Britain indicated the incident caused distress among Muslim staff and patients and was not an isolated case, but part of a broader pattern of Islamophobic behaviour within the health system.

The Islamic Medical Association called for clearer anti-discrimination policies, stronger reporting and accountability mechanisms, and expanded awareness and training programmes to uphold religious and cultural diversity across UK healthcare institutions.