Faith discrimination in the NHS: multiple penalties facing Muslim doctors R E L I G I O U S FAI T H
Hina J Shahid
GP; Chairperson, Muslim Doctors Association
Belonging to a faith group supports wellbeing which benefits doctors and their patients. However, anti-Muslim sentiments in society as a whole bear down on health workers. The NHS needs to protect staff from prejudice and violence but also be proactive in supporting faith practices which help prevent stress and burnout. This requires better awareness and processes across organisations, today more than ever.
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Having a mixed heritage and growing up in three different countries made me curious and respect and accept differences from a young age. I was fed up with opening the newspaper every morning with headlines about male Muslim terrorists and oppressed Muslim women. I started doing community engagement work and working with the media to encourage dialogue, challenge prejudice and present an alternative narrative. Working in public health, humanitarian medicine and as a GP in an inner city practice have deepened my understanding of global, structural and social influences on health and healthcare institutions. The Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba case really brought this home, raising uncomfortable questions about an institution I deeply cherish and that is regarded as a national treasure.
Introduction The NHS is the fifth largest employer in the world and prides itself on its diverse values. BME staff make up 19% of the NHS workforce (Home Office, 2018). The NHS Employers diversity and inclusion team supports improved equality, diversity and inclusion within NHS organisations and one of the priorities listed for 2018/19 is to better understand wider faith and belief issues (NHS Employers, 2018). It is estimated that just under 10% of the doctors in the NHS are Muslim (NHS Digital, 2016). Belonging to a faith group has been demonstrated to support positive wellbeing, which is an asset in the current NHS climate with increasing levels of stress and burn out. However, there are concerns reported by Muslim doctors which have been amplified since the Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba case; a landmark case that raised questions on religious discrimination in the NHS and associated regulatory and professional bodies.
British Muslims and Islamophobia – historical, social and political context There are 2.8 million Muslims in the United Kingdom comprising just under 5% of the population. (Office for National Statistics, 2011). The presence of Muslims in Britain spans several centuries, and the influence of the Islamic world even longer in European arts, architecture, science, mathematics and philosophy. Research indicates that British Muslims feel a strong sense of religious identity, but that they are also more likely than the British public as a whole to say that their national identity as British is important to them. (Kaur-Ballagan et al, 2018)). A recent report shows that Muslims have the highest level of life satisfaction and wellbeing compared with other faith and non-faith groups (Edinger-Schons, 2019). Yet, there is depressing evidence demonstrating discriminatory outcomes faced by British Muslims in housing, education, employment, the criminal justice system, social and public life and
© Journal of holistic healthcare
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Volume 16 Issue 2 Summer 2019
