Political badges should be banned from NHS uniforms

We aren't allowed to wear any badges or religious props where I work in the NHS. If we did it would be a disciplinary matter. We aren't allowed to have opinions either.
This is how it should be, we are here to treat patients and they generally don't want our opinions on anything other than their health care.

The NHS Trust I work for have never allowed us to wear anything like this. I'm pretty shocked that it's been allowed anywhere else.

Brits who serve in the IDF come back from the foreign war and are effectively immune to investigation for war crimes. Active recruitment is going on.

So long as the government plays Suppress rather than Address, very unfairly there will be backlash.

This should be the rule in any work place
even if you work directly for the cause the badge supports so it would be part of the ethos
it should still be a no as some of these organisations have sinister backgrounds and links very difficult to police so a flat no is better

They can go to whatever protests they like in their own time. Just not a work, where their political opinions are irrelevant to them getting on with their job.

Their right to protest as visible workers needs to be balanced with the rights of all patients to feel comfortable accessing care.

How much pushback are Christians getting as a result of the American involvement in this war? How much pushback do you see against Muslims for the actions of Hamas, Iran or Saudi Arabia? Interesting, the same activists who tear their hair out over Israel are not particularly interested in the other countries involved. The single-minded ferocity of the hatred of Israel is itself just anti-semitism channelled into a new form.

Having said all that, 'pushback' against British Jews for the perceived actions of a foreign state is pure, old-fashioned anti-semitism and the reason this training is obviously needed.

Leave it at home. All of it.

Your your prejudices, your virtue signaling, your religious beliefs and your politics.

People should be able to protest as a visible group of workers in public.

Anything else hits at the ability and need orfworkers to organise collectively. At trade unions.

Healthworkers wanting to call attention to the bombing of hospitals and suffering of children should be able to be visible in the streets.

It is a democratic expression by the sector.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/conflict-in-Israel-and-oPt

Items of a political nature shouldn't be worn by anybody at work.

I think most people on here are saying yes, outlaw them all.

Agree with most of you - no political insignia should be permitted to be worn by NHS staff.

Your opinion on a foreign war is almost never going to be relevant at work. Even teachers who are responsible for teaching history or politics should never just be expressing their own opinions. If the teacher is teaching effectively (ie showing a range of sources, encouraging the kids to think critically about various views) it should not be possible for the students to know what their opinions are.

In the NHS, it is mind boggling that flags, political symbols and discussions about foreign affairs have ever been allowed.

I suspect this has come about due to the, ‘bring your whole self to work’ initiatives.

I do agree with the idea of not displaying political messages via the use of badges and lanyards but then you crash straight into another ideology by doing so which is those who use their lanyards to express their sexuality or disability. I feel like all of these expressions of self are in the same melting point and once you outlaw one you are potentially going to have to outlaw them all.

They can express their views in their own time. Absolutely no reason for them to be airing them at work.

Bollocks.

Ive never bought my political views to work, its completely unprofessional and unless you work in a role where your politics are specifically relevant it’s completely unnecessary.

Why should I be subject to their 'views' in a medical environment where I am accessing treatment? Whatever they believe in.

We are all human beings with views. They don’t belong in a workplace.

Whilst I also don’t understand why somebody supporting Palestine should cause fear to somebody else, I just think it’s a slippery slope. Ban anything that isn’t NHS uniform and do away with all fluff.

NHS staff are also human beings who have views,

Views which are entirely irrelevant to their work.

I worked in the public sector all my adult life, I wasn't allowed to wear anything resembling political badges etc. I dealt with people from different countries and different minorities, singling out support for 1 group creates conflict and doesn't seem fair to others. So, no one should wear such badges.

I agree, it’s bewildering it was ever allowed.

Though in the NHS trust where I work, only non-clinical staff can wear lanyards. It’s for infection reasons.
Clinical staff are supposed to wear ID badges clipped to their uniform.
But with all the cost cutting, you probably can’t get a replacement clip, so you often end up with free ones covered in advertising - that’s not very impartial either, imo.
Tbh that is probably why so many people have rainbow lanyards too - otherwise you end up paying for a plain one out of your own money and it just adds up after a while.

Another thing that I’ve noticed at my hospital recently is the low availability of scrubs.
It’s supposed to be that the hospital provides them and you pick up a fresh set from the laundry each day - but there just aren’t enough.

Lots of the doctors have started wearing their own instead (which presumably they launder themselves, which isn’t great to begin with), and for some reason they are allowed any colour they like. I feel a lot of the colour choices are a subtle nod to political activism/militarism. Lots of black, khaki and particular shades of green.
It’s like being in a field hospital, I find it unsettling.

No NHS trust I have worked for allowed any political badges ever.

All these lanyards and badges are nothing but potential vectors for disease. They shouldn't have anything on their uniforms other than to identify who they are in the interest of hygiene/patient safety. Biosecurity is awful in the NHS as it is.