Staff at some of London’s biggest NHS hospitals have been banned from wearing pro-Palestine symbols after complaints they were “upsetting and intimidating” vulnerable patients.

The move came after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) raised the case of a young Jewish woman who attended Whipps Cross for a caesarean and encountered three members of staff wearing pro-Palestine badges in a 24-hour period.

Two wore “Free Palestine” badges on their lanyards and one had a watermelon symbol, a reference to the Palestinian colours, pinned to their uniform.

The woman, who attended Whipps Cross in January, said: “The display of these symbols made me feel extremely vulnerable, particularly given the level of anti-Semitic activity we’re all witnessing via the extreme elements of online activity and at the UK-wide marches.