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.

I’ve just asked my daughter what she’d think if her therapist (who she’s seeing partially due to anxiety after being attacked at school by violent thugs shouting Free Palestine) was wearing a Palestine badge and she said that she’d have to leave the room.

So we talked about how if she is in an accident or does need to see the school nurse etc that she’ll need to be ready to ignore this. That not all people wearing them wish her harm, just some of them and she needs to try to ask for help if she needs it. And then I got in a muddle about how to tell her to trust people who seem super untrustworthy and I don’t actually know what to say to her. It hadn’t occurred to me but she very well might come across this without my being there and she needs to be able to cope. Adding this to my list of things to think about.

@Sunnyduvet
re your question does the rainbow badge offend you

Im guessing you’ve missed all the GC campaigning and court cases
Here’s a view held by many women including lesbians

Viewed as ideological: Some gender-critical women, as highlighted by groups like The Christian Institute, argue that rainbow lanyards symbolize "gender ideology" (the concept that gender can differ from biological sex) and suggest the wearer is hostile to gender-critical views. []

Viewed as political: Critics and some regulatory bodies have debated whether wearing the lanyard compromises institutional impartiality. For example, the Scottish Parliament banned staff from wearing rainbow lanyards to maintain strict neutrality. 1, 2, 3, 4]

Workplace protections: Recent legal rulings, such as the High Court win by a gender-critical activist against Northumbria Police, have fueled ongoing discussions about how these symbols impact workplace neutrality and free speech

I don't agree. You are signaling to a gay or trans teenager than you dont hate them. Thats important to me. I am aware of the gender sex debate. I want people to feel comfortable in my presence. Im not a fan of removing women's rights and if the rainbow symbolises that then it shouldn't be used - i dont think it does at the moment and would need to see more evidence of this before taking it off my lanyard.

The bottom line is there is just no need for any signalling. It is irrelevant to the job.

And it seems someone is wearing whatever badge/lanyard precisely because they are face to face with the public . I’m sure they don’t wear their badge round the house. It’s meant to be seen and make a point.

Yes its sad that things like the rainbow will be removed but I guess if irs become political then it needs to go too. I hadn't seen it in that way before. Im going to ask around at work and see what others think!

Many GC women won’t out themselves if you ask For fear they’ll be labelled as anti trans or homophobic
The same reason many women patients have to suffer the intimidation in hospitals in silence.

see the news article upthread

You can equally signal to a gay or trans teenager that you don't hate them by your body language, by your smile, by your helpful attitude.

What an extraordinary idea that you need a pin to communicate that you don't hate your patients.

As a HCP the starting assumption should be that you don't hate any of your patients and you demonstrate that via your treatment of them.

The other thing is why would a gay or trans teenager think you would hate them?
Hate is a strong emotion for someone you are meeting in a professional capacity.
I personally think all the 'you're safe with me' messages can be counter productive. They can lead into an implication/ narrative that other people are not safe.

I do see you are coming from a place of kindness and it may be that in your very specific job it is important. But for 99% of NHS staff when dealing with the public it should be irrelevant.

We're drowning in self righteousness.
I don't have a answer - what's the medicine for this cultural malaise?

I'm sorry for what your family is being put through.

What do you mean? I listed a bunch of examples of celebration events. No there isn't a singular "everyone day" but by having days and networks that celebrate Muslim, Jewish, sikh, Catholics, multi faith alliances, heritage days from all countries isn't picking one side or sowing division. What's sowing division is the repeated point unevidenced that those who may have a pin are completely anti everyone else can completely ignoring that actually the doctor with a Palestine pin is probably part of a multifaith alliance with Jewish and other religious staff members and actually an opportunity for everyone to see that even those we think are different or other still treated them with the utmost respect. The demand for neutrality doesn't go anywhere except cementing the idea that it's impossible to feel solidarity with a cause close to you without hating others, which sounds familiar to MRAs accusing women of having tunnel vision and misandry.

You also keep insisting a neutral position would be better without facing the real world circumstances of how you'd achieve that without picking some allowed positions over other.

Things I have personally heard patients complain about :
A colleagues hijab
A colleagues Zimbabwean accent - to them it sounded "aggressive"
The idea that no patient will ever feel intimidated or upset due to their own personal assumptions/ prejudices / triggers is ridiculous. What matters is that patient care Is it the highest quality standard.

What about union badges? I had a gold badge for 35 years union membership on my lanyard. I assume they are acceptable.

You said "peddling back on a initiatives that celebrate everyone" so I queried that.

Again, the issue is not "unevidenced" hence the OP and comments from other posters. On the other hand, there is no evidence that someone wearing a pin is actually lovely. They very well might be but there have been plenty of instances of NHS workers behaving in unacceptable ways, including showing support for Hamas. There is no way for a patient to know and that is part of the issue.

I don't understand your point about MRAs, are you suggesting that because I (and others) don't think you should wear pins to work, we are equivalent to MRAs (by which I assume you mean those like Tate etc.)?

I have given you a clear breakdown of how it could be achieved and what would need to be considered. The only exclusions I've identified are those required by law. Its fine if you don't agree with my view, but I'm not sure the point of going round in circles saying I haven't provided a step by step guide for the NHS which considers every single stakeholder and scenario.

I think its been eye opening to several of us to see the attitudes towards patients that have been expressed.

Well then perhaps worth considering that easy adjustments to polarising choices would contribute to increased patient satisfaction. Someone can't change their accent or choose not to wear a hijab (presuming we all agree that being a religious person is inherently allowed), but they can choose to centre patient care as far as logically possible... by being kind and inclusive and avoiding politics.

A patient's mental health can be as important as your ability to change a drip. If a caregiver is trusted, a patient is far more likely to listen and respond well. So if you come at me with an (to me) aggressive stance on a political issue, I'm not going to trust you. If my daughter's physio or therapist or eczema doctor is wearing a pin that makes her immediately uncomfortable, she won't necessarily be able to tell you what she needs or listen to you when you try to help. Police officers don't wear political pins and I would class NHS and school staff in the same category.

Much more eloquently put than I've managed

But a flag is an aggressive political stance to you. Not to everyone. As I already said we don't have a no flags policy in the NHS, would it be simpler if we did? Yes. But how do you actually propose they ban one flag and not others without it being discriminatory.

Police officers actually wear poppies every year. They also have LGBT badges. Where did you get this idea that they don't?

As far as I'm aware, everyone who is pro banning the flags, is pro banning all the flags

I'm happy to ban anything non-uniform in the NHS - not sure why that's controversial? Could say 'patient facing NHS roles' as probably it doesn't much matter in an office.

I can very much appreciate a Ukranian / Russian / American / Chinese / Nigerian / American / English flag might trigger any number of people. I don't think I'm the only person in the UK to have a visceral reaction to a specific flag.

Having worked for the NHS for decades, this has always been the policy. It is not new news.

Because I already detailed above the NHS has created multiple staff networks that currently have either remembrance memorials, religious celebrations, pride month, heritage weeks etc so are we closing them down too? Even if not, how does restricting their outreach not come across as a regression and counter to the NHS values of inclusion?

Yes. Close them all down. Easy.

I 'hate' the inclusion via endless examples of exclusion. Just focus on the medicine and the patient and leave Eid / Chanukah / Easter / Ukraine / Russia / Mexico and everything else for people's personal lives.

I could read that and I already responded to you asking how you square that in reality, but you didn't address any of that. I know it's easier making up an imaginary world but real process doesn't work that way. How are the NHS going to role back on it's inclusion and diversity networks that actually foster harmony and community between different communities and justify that as a better solution? "Hey sorry that you've all got events and networks that show our differences don't divide us and inspire staff and patients to see how we can all still treat eachother respectfully even with our differences, what we need you to do is completely hide any trace of pride or recognition that there is any differences amongst people and pretend to all be devoid of background heritage etc"

Our trust does some fantastic Jewish events that our Jewish community attend as well as members of the multifaith network including webinars etc on antisemitism and supporting our Jewish colleagues. And stopping these will somehow be better? 🤨

It's not easy though, which is what judges have said..how do you justify regressing on policies of inclusion when you have one of the most diverse workforces on the country without opening yourself up to discrimination claims