Is this discrimination?

[WorriedandExhausted]

I was having a chat with a student at work.

She was complaining that she can not get a GP appointment because she is Jewish.

The facts are

1. Her GP surgery only allows pre-book able appointments on Saturday

2.If you want an appointment on any other day you need to go to the surgery in person, fill out a slip, and wait till is your turn (sorta like a walk in center)

She would rather not do the walk in thing, because she could go in at 9 am, and have to hang around till 2pm. Work is about 2 hours away from home and her GP

I feel the system is not inherently wrong. But the receptionist made the mistake of saying..."Its not my problem that you chose to follow a religion with so many rules, this is how the doctors want to run the surgery"

Julie, have you even read the thread?

I asked if it was fair that the only day you can book appointments is Saturday.

For some religions this is an issue.

If other days were available we wouldn't be having this discussion.

And as many people before have said, if Jewish people get ill, they can have help on a Saturday.

How would you feel if the only day you could book a GP appointment was on a Sunday?

Julie8008 do you have a chip on your shoulder?

This is nothing to do with it being a Christian country.

Seventh Day Adventists like myself, identify as christian, yet we also observe the sabbath.

Having services available on other days, is not going to harm Christians.

And like other posters have said, there are numerous reasons why people would choose not to book an appointment on a Saturday.

Jews and people like me a minority, and sometimes is just not cost effective to cater for us. But its always good to be understanding

I think it would be a very odd kind of god that didn't want its worshippers to stay well. I can understand the reasoning behind having a sabbath day of rest but not to prevent you taking care of yourself. The link upthread seems to support the view that it would be fine to attend.

The Equality Act applies here, the practice is discriminating against people who observe the Sabbath.

How would you feel if the only day you could book a GP appointment was on a Sunday? But of course that wouldn't happen in the UK as most GPs are closed on a Sunday because we live in a Christian country. But if it was a secular country I wouldn't have a problem with some making it a Sunday.

Its perfectly reasonable to make Saturday the only day you can make an appointment as most people work Monday to Friday and Saturday is the only day you can actually make an appointment for a non urgent issue.

Of course it doesn't work for everyone but we do have other GP's and other ways to seek medical care.

So does she do nothing on the sabbath them? If she can't attend a doctor appointment? Does she wash up? Cook food? Put petrol in the car? Make the bed? Those are chores too or is it only certain chores she chooses to do? If a Saturday appointment doesn't suit she should change doctors. And I'm sorry but I don't believe for one minute that the entire rest of the week are purely walkin. I know a few surgeries like this near me and every single one has at least 1 week day for appointments also.

I think this is potentially indirect discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Indirect discrimination means that

• everyone is treated the same for example the policy of only having booked appointments on Saturday applies to everyone in the practice.
• it puts a person at a disadvantage due to a protected characteristic. Religion is protected so arguably Jewish people are affected by the appointment system due to their beliefs about doing/not doing things on Saturdays.
• it affects the person who is complaining

However it is allowed if the service provider can show there is a good reason for the policy then it is not discriminatory. The GP will need to show the system is justified. Sorry don't know how to make short links www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/what-are-the-different-types-of-discrimination/indirect-discrimination/

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/what-are-the-different-types-of-discrimination/justifying-discrimination/

What SingaSong12 said.

It's not the intent of the gp to discriminate against Jewish people, but that is the effect of their policy.

So on Monday to Friday it’s same- day appointments only? Surely that can’t be right?

Some surgeries allow patients to make appointments over the internet, does this surgery have this facility or over phone, try phoning in the afternoon if is a non urgent appointment

That sounds like an insanely run surgery - bookable appointments on a Saturday? Yes please!

If it doesn't suit the Jewish lady she should find one with a different system I think.