Political badges should be banned from NHS uniforms

I’m so sorry that you are all experiencing this.

The issue with these virtual signallers is that they often lack the intellect to understand that they can feel a certain way about a war but the people they come into day to day contact with aren’t responsible.

They should direct their anger at the governments involved. And if they really feel so strongly, why not go over there and try to help?

But no, it’s easier to make the lives of innocent people into a living hell. Why put your money where your mouth is when you can beat up and kill innocent people who have no defence. Blowing up ambulances in Golders Green probably felt like a massive win to these cowards.

I am amazed this even needs banning. I used to manage NHS clinical teams and the only badges allowed to be worn on uniform were a name badge and the badge of the professional body if the person was a member

You are ducking the question. This thread is effectively 'what should the etiquette be', or 'what rules should the people in charge of the place enforce'.

You are arguing for wide latitude on grounds of free expression, but don't want to defend staff wearing White Power badges.

Or maybe you will defend it -- will you?

My kids are the only Jewish children at both of their schools and they are surrounded by teachers wearing Palestinian support fashion. They find it extremely distressing after a few bullying instances of children harassing them to ‘pick a side’ or telling them they hope their whole family dies. My 9 year old is scared to go to school now.

It is really, really scary to be the only one of anything, particularly just now

So as a woman, you prioritise people’s right to hold abhorrent views (because with hot topics, the other side is always going to be abhorrent to some people) over someone’s right to be treated professionally. And those rights are more important than allowing someone to seek medical care?

Okay then. Do you also believe that elderly people don’t have a right to same sex care if available?

By everyone expressing every thought and view, you are actually repressing others.

I admit I also thought you were young.

I would assume that the people in charge of the place had discussed and consulted about it. Not my place to control etiquette.

I would expect high standards of work regardless. My right as a service user.

How have we got to this?? The NHS have been stuffed with money year after year and they seem to be going backwards. My late parents were in and out of hospital and what I saw wouldnt be allowed anywhere.

Two nurses speaking over my Mum in another language and when Mum asked what they were doing they completely ignored her. A senior nurse shruggling her shoulders when I said that the elderly women they put next to Mum suffering from dementia wasnt safe for Mum. The women was screaming her head off.

The whole NHS needs a massive wake up call. They arent there for themselves and to make their views and lives easier for themselves they are paid for by tax payers to treat people medically.

No, I am perimenopausal and full of energy

I'm not bothered if someone is gay or a member of their family is. They don't need to tell me or let me know when they are at work. I'm not interested in personal or political views if I'm in a medical setting or any work setting.

Work is not the place for making statements.

Repressive?? Okay then. It would be different if they represented views you found abhorrent, I can guarantee it.

Everyone can hold whatever views they want but the workplace is not the place for them. I don’t talk about my politics at my workplace because it’s not appropriate and just leads to division.

Bringing your whole self to work is one of those pathetic GenZ mantras

Plenty of human behaviours are inappropriate on an NHS ward. Tribalism is one.

Your argument that "the patient might agree, or have a relative that agrees, therefore the expression is appropriate" is a stupid test.

Which of these would you permit?

i) Palestine flag (patient's relative might be Palestinian)
ii) IDF badge (patient's relative might be in the IDF)
iii) Black Power badge (patient's relative might be black)
iv) White Power badge (patient's relative might be white)
v) Stop the Genocide (Gaza)
vi) Stop the Genocide (Great Replacement)
etc etc etc

Is highlighting differences between people really the point of the NHS?

Yes I think same. I work for a private company but wouldn't wear anything political at work.

In that case it is clear that you don't know what professionalism means. I'm not trying to be patronising or anything, but are you very young?

If the rabid misogynist is a medical professional who thinks that saying you are a woman makes it so, then I don’t want them within a mile of my genitals as I don’t have faith in their medical abilities.

You are trying to show how super tolerant you are.

I can deal professionally on a level with someone wearing one of those. But being a patient is automatically a different power dynamic.

I question that definition of professionalism as repressive.

Nor me - whatever happened to being professional?

The rainbow thing has been hijacked by the trans lobby with their own agenda. Nobody had to show a flag to signal they weren’t homophobic.

I do not feel safer under censorship and I know my doctors are human.

If I have to work with a rabid misogynist, I can work with him professionally although we disagree.

The trust needs to be in the actual job being done.

The love and tolerance, for human variety.

No one is being repressed. We are talking about cultivating professionalism in a work environment

I hate those the most. I know it's mainly a Lgbtq thing, but anyone can wear one - a child seeing that and thinking that's a safe adult to approach, just no.
As for the other political stuff, as someone who is in hospital a lot, it does give me a heads up on that person. But at the same time other staff can feel pressured into wearing rainbow lanyards etc. Really the workplace is no place for this type of thing, I'm not a fan of the bring your whole self to work concept.

But in the specific context of the health service, that will have a very different balance than in society more widely, won't it?

And people will withdraw from services, despite the assumption they won’t, and it will ultimately cost people their lives.

Nobody is disadvantaged by being able to be treated by someone with no political signals.

Why would you need a symbol to reassure you about a Drs person life. Drs personal lives are not your responsibility.

No I am talking about a social shift away from repression and towards trust.

And I don’t care if people want to wear religious symbols - go for it.

Political statements are different.

But you're putting the balance towards freedom of political expression among staff as NHS workers (ie not private individuals) being more important than patients being able to access health services confidently? That seems odd to me. The raison d'etre of the health service is that patients can access it. If that is threatened by the actions of staff it suggests the balance has gone way out of whack.