I wasn't trying to make this an issue about race, more about the cultural aspect. In some respects there can be an incongruity about certain cultures and customs that are at odds with the laws and social parameters of the country where people live. In many respects the adherents to certain beliefs are the very people who are put at a disadvantage by an extreme interpretation of what is often adopted on their behalf. Jehovah's Witnesses for example, a religion that espouses an ethos which makes little sense, their followers are the ones who will suffer the most when a loved one dies because they aren't allowed to have a blood transfusion.
It appears that some of what would be deemed the most liberal countries such as Denmark are now saying that the onus should be on other cultures to adapt to where they live otherwise it's an impediment to social cohesion and some communities will be destined to live completely separate and quite often disadvantaged lives. In fact is that not part of the argument with LGBT syllabus that all schools are expected to adopt, that the teaching profession should not be impeded in their efforts in rolling this out nationally for the greater good of society as a whole. In the same way, possibly the GP in question also saw the veil as an impediment to making a proper diagnosis.
As I said upthread Jack Straw did ask Muslim women to remove their veil when he saw them at his surgery and I think at the time his point was, that it was a barrier to conversation.
I'm not suggesting we should go down the French road and have an out and out ban that route does seem somewhat draconian. Nevertheless to me they are a symbol of extreme patriarchal oppression, and I have heard emancipated Muslim women themselves say acceptance of such customs doesn't do them any favours.