Elham Asaad Buaras
Fatimah Mohamied, a Muslim midwife and mother of two, is suing the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust referred her to the government’s Prevent counterterror programme following her social media posts about Palestine.
Mohamied faced workplace scrutiny over her public comments on Palestine. After she left her role, the Trust referred her to both the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and Prevent.
Her referral followed complaints from the lobby group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). A separate complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority by the Public Interest Law Centre alleges UKLFI used vexatious correspondence to intimidate pro-Palestine activists.
Mohamied worked as a Cultural Safety Lead Midwife, a role focused on tackling systemic racism in maternity services.
After the war in Gaza began, she spoke out publicly. “Advocacy is a prominent part of our role,” she wrote. “To speak up for the vulnerable, marginalised and dispossessed.”
According to Mohamied, her employer objected to her actions. “Every attempt I made to discuss Gaza or Palestine in my work was obstructed,” she stated.
She left her position in March 2024. The NMC later dismissed the complaints against her. In May 2025, a Prevent police officer notified her of the Trust’s referral.
The Prevent officer concluded there was no basis for the referral. The officer also noted it was unusual for an NHS Foundation Trust of that size to make such a claim.
Mohamied is pursuing legal action against the Trust for post-employment harassment and discrimination. “I hope my case sends a strong message to the Trust, and to all the NHS, about how they should not behave,” she said.
Photo: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital part of the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust which is being sued. (Credit: Wikimedia)
