How should medical staff react to this:

lemon, totally disagree. How would you feel if a patient said s/he does not want to be operated by a Jewish surgeon. Or a gay one. Or a Muslim one.

Racism is illegal in the UK.

suziewoozie....since most surgeons here are white, it wouldn’t be difficult to arrange I would have thought, and less
Expensive than taking anything to the courts!
How the NHS does actually manage things of this kind, I have no idea.Fortunately these kind of people must be few.

Yes, it’s racism of course, and who knows how the NHS actually does deal with a rare case like this?

Actually lemon it will all depend on the hospital and the surgical speciality. But I agree I think refusing surgery is rare but everyday racism towards NHS staff in general is probably more common.

Matt Hancock talks sense when he says that trusts should manage cases on an individual basis.You can’t let people become very ill or die, even if they are ignorant racists.

Yes suzie having read the link it seems that everyday casual racism is very common within the NHS.Sad, isn’t it?

Ignorant racists have a choice- be treated, or not.

Refusing to treat people because they are ignorant bigots would be going down a slippery slope towards discriminating against patients on other grounds too.

This is something that needs to be firmly dealt with by the Trust managers who have the backing of UK law.

Unfortunately, this is probably the tip of the iceberg and many cases probably go unreported.

But that is your view Jura2 ( and maybe mine) but the NHS would not do that, doctors and surgeons have a duty of care and in my view would (in the end) try and accommodate the patient.It would be a rare case after all.Most people ( even racists) want their operations as soon as possible.

Illegality should not be accommodated- or ti would be the start of a terrible slippery slope. Callistemon- no-one would be refusing to treat anyone- but not ot pander to their illegal racism.

It’s a moot point and probably best left to the NHS to deal with.

Call its not discriminating against a patient nor refusing to treat him/ her if you say Mr Non-White will be doing your surgery at 9,30 tomorrow. It’s the patient who is making the choice and discriminating against Mr Non-White if he refuses that. It would be helpful if the point was actually tested in court but I doubt this will happen. What should be dealt with is the undoubted everyday racism as that will send a message. BTW patients can be removed from a GPS list for abusive behaviour which would include racist comments. The GP does not have a duty of care to keep the patient on his/ her list. The CGG have to place the patient with another practice but the patient would have no choice - take it or leave it. Perhaps this could be a way of dealing with the (rare) cases of patient refusal. Refer them to NHS England for placement at another hospital - could be anywhere in the country and of course the patient would have to go back to square one in the system ....

Well. lemongrove, I think you are being too lenient on these racists (and those who don't want a female surgeon are just as bad and law-breaking), and what would you suggest for places where the only surgeons are non-white and/or female?

DH has recently had major surgery and both his consultants and many of the staff were not only not white but not born in the UK. Shock, horror!!! We are extremely grateful to them all, and can't speak too highly of them. Anyone who was stupid enough to refuse treatment from any of them would deserve any consequences of delay, and would exclude themselves from first class treatment. I would have absolutely no sympathy with such idiots and their illegal behaviour.

I am not being too lenient, or even lenient at all, it’s not up to me what happens to idiots who refuse treatment on racial grounds, but the dilemma of NHS staff, who ( I believe) would always put a patients health first, before said patients stupid beliefs.We can say ‘too bad, no treatment for you’ but they can’t, and I don’t think they would, no matter what they thought privately.

No, I agree, they wouldn't, but if the patient refused absolutely to have the treatment if it was not given by a white surgeon and there wasn't one on duty, it would be the patient's responsibility. You cannot treat mentally competent people (whatever you may think of their opinions) against their will, however ill they may be.

This is getting so out of hand now and it needs stamping out. Surely there must be someone who can stand firm ??

Who cares who works in the health service ? As long as there are no Shipman's and he was white don't forget !!

Good point about Shipman, EllenVannin! Evil people, as well as excellent people, come in all shades.

Perhaps some of you should read ‘whistle in the wind’ before deciding if others should have choices. It’s an individual decision and MUST be respected. No matter what colour the doctor is.

No. Racism and dscrimination are against our Laws. So why should it be 'respected'.

It is against the law to discriminate against anyone because of:

age
gender reassignment
being married or in a civil partnership
being pregnant or on maternity leave
disability
race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin
religion or belief
sex
sexual orientation

These are called ‘protected characteristics’.

You’re protected from discrimination:

at work
in education
as a consumer
when using public services
when buying or renting property
as a member or guest of a private club or association

You’re legally protected from discrimination by the Equality Act 2010.

Last time I was in hospital there was a horrible woman on the ward (not old or senile, just a nasty racist) who was foul to all the black/Asian staff whether cleaners or consultants. She got shouted down by the other patients (white and otherwise). We all cheered when she discharged herself.

Callistemon- no-one would be refusing to treat anyone- but not ot pander to their illegal racism.
Exactly, jura!!
It needs to be dealt with better than it is at present.

lemongrove that is just it, a medical professional will always put the patient first.

suziewoozie I said exactly the same as you; I understood your point exactly and in fact added to it so am confused that you feel the need to explain it to me


However, I cannot see a health professional refusing to treat a patient, however obnoxious they are. If the patient refused to see a non-white professional then perhaps they should have to be put back on the waiting list, which, in some areas, could be years.

Jura2 ... like I said, you should read the book first. If one of these individuals was due to operate on someone I loved, I would object. It doesn’t matter what colour you are. If you use racism to avoid high standards, that is illegal.

I presume you mean objecting to someone you feel may not be competent Grandmablue, not objecting on racial discrimination grounds at all.
That is different altogether.

Sorry Call misunderstanding