Political badges should be banned from NHS uniforms

[Ihatetomatoes]

New report says political badges such as Pro Palestine shouldn't be worn on NHS uniforms. It's led to increased antisemitism and fear amongst Jewish patients.

Also NHS uniforms not to be worn on protests.

This report makes a number of suggestions and in my opinion must be implemented. All political badges off NHS uniforms. No NHS uniforms on protests such as pro Palestine. It contributes to racism and fear.

The NHS should treat all patients equally and individuals political opinions shouldn't be pinned on their uniforms.

People with a good deal of cultural capital do assume that their rights as a service user will be recognised, and are able to advocate for themselves when that doesn't happen.
The NHS also has to make sure people who don't have your level of confidence in how things should work still feel safe to access healthcare services.
People who don't trust the service don't become service users. In the case of the NHS, people self-excluding due to loss of trust will be sicker, will die younger. That's not justice. Leave your bloody badge in your locker it won't kill you.

I am not claiming to. I have compassion for people who, through the actions of governments, are being terrified, beaten and killed by ignorant people.

Did you see the post from the mother whose children are terrified to go to school? Would you dismiss her experience? Because THAT is disrespectful.

What about NHS workplace inclusion networks - BAME networks, LGBTQ+ networks etc.?

Do they have a role in the workplace (they are typically separate from but related to workplace diversity plans)?

Exactly this. I have had some consistently bad experiences with the NHS and am on the verge of self excluding as a result.

When we live in a society that has lost all ability to have nuanced conversations and debates, to compromise, for people to understand that someone having a different opinion to them does not have to mean that they wish them harm, when hate, fear, distrust and polarisation is so engrained in society that no one can do anything for fear of offending or upsetting someone that is the ultimate destination we will end up in isn't it?

Bland, colourless, boring - and we will all be poorer for it.

We need to get back to consensus building, compromise and tollerance.

again, totally agree

you can be as unbland, colourful and unboring as you like outside of the working environment.

I have less cultural capital than you may imagine and my family and I have had dangerously bad experiences with individual NHS staff.

We support the NHS as an institution.

The NHS partners with the WHO - as do the majority of different countries health care systems around the world. The NHS hosts a number of WHO collaborating centres across the UK which undertake research and support national and international policy development

The UK government, like all 194 member countries sit on the World Health Assembly and there is an executive board comprising 34 elected officials from member with three year terms - Chris Whitty currently sits on the Exec Board for the UK.

Reform UK and Restore want to look at withdrawing the UK from the WHO unless it restructures on their terms.

No, obviously these are providing information in the same way as a name badge or title.

A political badge would be a “Yes Cymru” or Plaid Cymru badge for example

Good for you (I didn’t mention the cultural capital point).

Are you able to appreciate that just because you support it as an institution, others may disengage out of genuine fear?

Is wearing badges more important than people’s lives? Because that’s quite the take.

I don’t want a nuanced debate with my doctor - I want medical advice.

I can’t see the compromise in making people disengage from services because they don’t trust that they will get decent treatment due to the views of other.

I'd say no. Support networks for staff do not need to be advertised on uniforms and it should be a given within the NHS that everyone is treated equally in matters relating to their health.

I did not literally die when a Muslim doctor treated my mother or a queer doctor treated me.

Badges are not literal violence

again I agree. I am utterly uninterested in my doctor's political or social views and I expect my doctor to be equally uninterested in mine. I expect them to be a good doctor. Same with a plumber, electrician, gardener and so on.

If a patient suffered an adverse event or felt/did suffer due to a clinicians poor care, and the clinician was wearing a sign of support for a cause which the patient did not support or could reasonably be thought to oppose, would this not be a greater problem for the complaints officer?

Ie a jewish patient complains / sues due to malpractice and the accused person was wearing a Support Palestine badge. Or a black.person suffers when a clinician wearing a Reform badge attends them with a bad outcome?

Being Muslim or gay is what people are. I wouldn’t be narrow minded enough to assume they felt one way or the other about something.

Wearing badges is what people think.

If I fear seeking advice about gyne issues because someone is wearing a trans flag, then is that what I deserve?

Because I have just had some worrying results from cervical screening due to delaying my test for so many years due to the fear of engaging with someone who doesn’t know what a biological woman is.

But, ya know, one less person with a different opinion.

You can’t complain when you are too frightened to engage.

And the complaints procedure is absolutely useless. I know, I have tried.

Actually it's arguable whether they do or do not. The networking is for personal reasons not professional. If you wish to effect change to a policy, there are other mechanisms for that - these groups do not have any control or power to do that.

In the CS you are no longer allowed to have networking type groups meetings etc during working hours. It's for you to use your personal time on if you wish.

I cannot remember how I knew they were but definitely remember chatting about festivals with the Muslim doctor.

I can remember their beards and their kind eyes and gentle body language but not what the identity tells were.

I think all public sector employees should be shown as impartial thus ban all badges, lanyards etc.

You posted earlier about women being burned as witches and black people being lynched and how badges must be permitted in order to prevent this. You made the link yourself (tenuous in my view, but not yours).

What badges do you think the doctors of Salem or Lafayette would have worn?

You lost me at 'queer'.

How a Dr describes their sexuality is of absolutely no relevance to the patient. Why would it even come up?

I wouldn’t assume that someone being of a particular religion or sexuality would make any difference to the way they do their job. For example there are plenty of gay people who don’t support the trans lobby.

Why are you refusing to see the difference between someone’s sexuality/religion and their desire to share their political beliefs?

Someone being Muslim does not imply they have a problem with a Jewish patient. Someone displaying the Free Palestine badge does potentially imply that.

I dont want to risk treatment from someone who is showing they have an issue potentially with me not aligning with their values.