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.

As I said I agree there should be no political badges, pro Palestinian or other. Just noting that being pro Palestine is not anti semitic, for the record

This. all our badges when printed had rainbows on- why? we just need a plain formal NHS name badge with no extra stuff

Agree 100%.
I just don’t understand why you need to ‘say’ anything with your uniform ffs.

Yanbu, good to see the majority voting is that.

I had surgery and one of the nurses had a fish on a chain. That intrigued me. According to google, it's a Christian symbol. I wondered whether crosses are banned and that's why he wore a fish.

They are public servants. They are paid by the public purse.
Their own political beliefs they can keep to themselves. They should work with impartiality. Wearing a political badge undermines that completely.
I am amazed this is allowed to occur. Sorry, perhaps I am not.
That an expensive report had to be done to suggest shows the state of affairs.
That anyone could seek to justify wearing a badge is not good.

Some folk wear fish, crosses etc. And some carry the Kirpan. I wonder if the NHS bans the kirpan from being worn in the workplace.

Totally agree.

According to google, in France, scarves ad turbans are banned in their NHS.

All public sector/publicly funded positions should be banned from symbolism, badges, lanyards and so on. It is a disgrace that it has been allowed up to now. The ban should not just be for NHS.

It's about time our public employees realised that their positions are in their contract not a vehicle for political activism.

Whats wrong with this?

I don’t see why any badges should be worn at all. You never know what might make a patient uncomfortable so none should be allowed.

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.

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

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.

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.

NHS staff are also human beings who have views,

Views which are entirely irrelevant to their work.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.