Lord Mann’s recommendations to tackle antisemitism and racism accepted
The review's recommendations place clear expectations on employers to take urgent and sustained action to protect staff and patients. It highlights systemic and persistent racism across the NHS, including evidence of antisemitism affecting both staff and patients, and that race and religious discrimination and hatred should be addressed.
The review found that:
- Antisemitism and racism are widespread and, in some cases, normalised across NHS settings.
- Staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and Jewish staff, are more likely to experience discrimination from colleagues, managers and the public.
- Some patients report lower levels of trust and confidence, with concerns about discrimination affecting access to care.
- Organisational responses are inconsistent, with variation in leadership, culture and practice across the NHS.
- Current arrangements for reporting and investigating racism are not always clear, consistent or effective.
The review concludes that a system-wide reset is needed, with stronger leadership, clearer expectations and greater accountability.
Dean Royles, chief executive of NHS Employers said, “Priority must now be ensuring these recommendations are implemented effectively and consistently across the NHS.” Read Dean’s response in full.
The recommendations
Lord Mann's review makes 36 recommendations. For employers, the key messages are:
Strengthening leadership and accountability
- Make tackling racism, including antisemitism a core organisational priority.
- Ensure visible board-level leadership and oversight.
- Embed clear equality, diversity and inclusion objectives into senior leaders’ roles and performance.
Improving data and transparency
- Strengthen collection and use of workforce and patient data.
- Use Workforce Race Equality Standards (WRES) and staff survey data to drive improvement.
- Improve transparency, including public reporting of progress.
Getting policies and processes right
- Implement clear, consistent approaches to reporting and investigating racism.
- Ensure all staff understand expected standards of behaviour.
- Review policies on issues such as uniform, branding and social media.
Supporting staff and improving experience
- Take stronger action on antisemitism and racism from patients and the public.
- Provide effective support for staff who experience discrimination.
- Foster inclusive cultures where staff feel safe to speak up.
Building capability
- Provide mandatory training on antisemitism, anti-racism and cultural competence.
- Develop the capability to recognise, investigate and respond to antisemitism and racism effectively.
Government response
The government has committed to acting on the findings and monitoring progress.
Key actions include:
- Reporting progress to Parliament, with an initial update in October 2026.
- Introducing new NHS staff standards, including a focus on tackling racism.
- Strengthening accountability through the NHS Oversight Framework (NOF).
- Progressing regulatory reform, including changes to fitness-to-practise processes.
Employers will play a central role in delivering change.
What this means for employers
The review reinforces that tackling antisemitism and racism is a core leadership, workforce and patient safety responsibility.
Employers will need to:
- Take ownership of addressing racism locally, acting early and decisively, and embedding an understanding that antisemitism is a form of racism.
- Provide clear leadership and consistent organisational responses.
- Embed established anti-racism principles into organisational culture and practice, including:
- Strengthen governance, including board oversight and assurance.
- Use data to identify inequalities and drive improvement.
- Ensure reporting and investigation processes are fair, timely and trusted. Investigations must be rooted in safeguarding principles and in line with the Macpherson principle that all complaints about incidents of racism should be recorded and investigated as such.
- There is also an expectation that employers will take a more proactive and preventative approach, rather than relying on escalation to regulators.
For further insights, access the full report on the government website Lord Mann review on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS.
