NHS staff will be told not to wear political pin badges, as part of recommendations put forward by the government’s independent antisemitism adviser.

Lord Mann has drawn up a series of recommendations on how to combat antisemitism, which today the government has accepted.

Speaking to Sky News about his findings, the Labour peer said: “What I’m recommending is that some leadership from the NHS and the NHS as an employer takes hold of this issue, and turns it around, which I think is very possible to do so. 

“I’ve given over 30 very pragmatic recommendations for them to sort the situation out. I think it’s no big deal for them to do it.”

Asked about suggestions NHS staff could be banned from wearing pin bages, Mann replied: “If I’m sat in the dentist’s chair and the dentist is about to drill my teeth, I don’t expect the dentist to have political badges on… even a Labour Party badge. I might like that, but you might not like it. 

“That’s not appropriate. 

“So a badge that says I support Palestine, or indeed a badge that says I support Israel, I don’t want my dentist to be wearing that when they’re about to drill my teeth. 

“It’s a very straightforward policy. I think that should be and will be the policy across the NHS.”

Challenged that there is legal action already being taken by some NHS workers in one trust where a ban is already in place, as they believe it disproprortionately affects those who are pro-Palestine. 

But Mann replied: “Why would somebody, in their employer’s time dealing with patients, want to be pushing their politics? 

“If you want to have policy… then express them in your private life, express them as a private individual, but don’t use the NHS to do it.”

Pushed where you draw the line, he added: “I’m not sure I want my dentist wearing a badge of a football team that I’m not in support of… It’s an unnecessary distraction.”