What happened?

In March 2025, while still in training, I was instructed to remove a small Palestine flag from my consulting room after an anonymous patient complaint that described the flag as being connected to “terrorism.”

Instead of recognising this for what it was – a malicious, deeply racist and Islamophobic complaint – my employer, NHS Education for Scotland (NES), and the GP practice chose to give credence to the racist complainant as what then followed, was the most exclusionary and distressing period of my six-year medical career:

I was confronted by four senior doctors in front of colleagues in an informal setting and had comparisons being made between the Palestine flag and Nazi/MAGA extremist symbols.

I was warned that escalating the issue could affect my training progression through the fitness to practise capability.

I was informed that while rainbow lanyards and other historically permitted symbols such as the Ukraine flag were fine, a Palestine pin was unacceptable.

For months, I was left isolated, anxious, and excluded from workplace spaces I had previously felt part of.

Throughout, I continued my duties to patients without interruption. But I was silenced and punished for upholding my ethical and professional responsibility to advocate for those facing genocide.

Why this is important?

This case is not just about me. It is about the right of healthcare workers to speak out and show signs of solidarity against atrocities without fear of intimidation, or career damage.

This case has national significance. It could set a landmark precedent for freedom of expression and protection from discrimination in NHS Scotland. It is about whether healthcare workers are free to live up to our professional values – compassion, care, inclusivity, and advocacy – or whether these values only apply selectively.

Healthcare workers across the UK are being censored for speaking up about Gaza. My case is one of the first to go on the offence here in Scotland – holding institutions accountable instead of being left on the defensive.

The NHS routinely permits and promotes visible solidarity with other causes – from rainbow lanyards to Ukraine flags. Singling out Palestine solidarity is not “neutrality”; it is discrimination.

The complaint against me equated the Palestine flag with terrorism. Instead of defending me, my employer acted on this racist and Islamophobic framing. If unchallenged, this sets a dangerous precedent where racist complaints are legitimised and workers are punished.

Healthcare workers have a duty under international humanitarian law and medical ethics to advocate for the oppressed. The ICJ has ruled that genocide is “plausibly occurring” in Gaza. Silencing doctors in this context undermines both our ethics and our humanity, and risks complicity.

The legal challenge

I am bringing a case against NHS Education for Scotland and the GP practice for:

1. Discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, religion, and belief.
2. Suppression of freedom of expression, contrary to the Equality Act 2010 and the European Convention of Human Rights.

This case is about justice for me, but it is also about creating protection for every healthcare worker in the UK who wants to exercise their rights and uphold their humanitarian duty. Seeking to equate Palestinian self-determination and statehood with terrorism, is unacceptable.

How can you help?

• Donate what you can – every contribution, large or small, makes a real difference.
• Share this campaign widely with colleagues, friends, and networks.
• Stand in solidarity with healthcare workers who refuse to be silenced in the face of genocide.

The initial fundraising target is £4,000 to get the case underway. The overall target is £50,000, which will cover the legal costs needed to see this challenge through.

Final words

I cannot fight this alone. With your support, we can hold NHS Education for Scotland to account and ensure that no healthcare worker is ever punished again for their right and duty to advocate for those suffering a genocide.

Pictured above: the mini flag in my consultation room before I was asked to remove it.