Religion in the NHS?

[Smike]

Hmmm.....

What do we think?

This particular religion affects the beleiver's way of life a lot. But should services like the NHS provide special treatment for these people?

I suppose this is one advantage of not having an free NHS in the US.

 

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

Yeah, my religious beliefs require the father to be fed grapes and fanned with those big plants by the nurses during the delivery. I'll be sure to complain when it doesn't happen that way.

 

[Nikk]

Hmmm.....

What do we think?

This particular religion affects the beleiver's way of life a lot. But should services like the NHS provide special treatment for these people?

I suppose this is one advantage of not having an free NHS in the US.

I am sure that muslim standards of perinatal care can be provided. The mortality rate is 60 to 90 per thousand in Pakistan compared to around 6 in the UK. Her choice.

 

[richardm]

I don't like to sound dismissive, but... she's lying on bed in the latter stages of pregnancy, being examined by a doctor.

We may suspect the use of stirrups, and at least the general loss of dignity that childbirth often entails. Yet she's worried about her head covering:

I normally cover my head with a hijab but I took it off when I was in labour. At the time there was just me, the midwife and my husband in the room but then I had no control about who was coming in and out.

I felt uncomfortable but sometimes because you're actually in labour you just carry on. It's not until afterwards when you look back you think '"that was really terrible".

 

[Matabiri]

it is still racism in a way because of the ignorance.

Um... no. Ignorance is not racism, it's just ignorance.

I was OK with that as my husband was there but there were other men coming in and out of the room not even related to my case, they just wanted to speak to a colleague.

Pretty humiliating for any woman, I'd have thought. Not a racism issue at all.

On the other hand:

Sometimes there'd only be two halal meals and there'd be six to 12 Muslim women on the ward.

Certainly bad organisation, but if this is a regular problem it should be easy enough to fix - provided a proper complaint is made, rather than people just leaving whilst muttering under their breath.

 

[Giz]

Hmmm.....

should services like the NHS provide special treatment for these people?

You want special treatment? - you go private.

The NHS should provide the "medical"/"scientifically" required minimum. Anything else should be private. That includes private rooms, Faith based/selfish requirements, swedish masseurs etc!

Perhaps all meals should be vegetarian? No more problems with Halal or Veggie nuts not wanting to finish their club sandwich. If you want anything non-veggie; order a pizza!


Nikk:" am sure that muslim standards of perinatal care can be provided. The mortality rate is 60 to 90 per thousand in Pakistan compared to around 6 in the UK. Her choice."
- The way out; open a 'faith/traditional/new-age' wing to the hospital. (I call it a wing but my blueprint shows it looking more like a ditch). Everyone who doesn't like how the no-nonsense allopaths practice medicine - in you go!

 

[Darat]

Hmmm.....

What do we think?

This particular religion affects the beleiver's way of life a lot. But should services like the NHS provide special treatment for these people?

I suppose this is one advantage of not having an free NHS in the US.

I'm going to say something that actually grates tremendously with some of my other views and answer "no". The reason for the grating “no” is that the UK is not a secular nation it has a state religion and therefore the state only needs to provide for the state religion.

Is this right? Well no because I don’t think we should have a state religion.

However even if the UK was a secular state I would still think it was wrong for the state to provide any special consideration in a publicly funded state controlled health system for religious beliefs. If you have beliefs which means that you require more then medical care, for instance diets that are religiously dictated rather then medically required, then the solution is quite simple, pay for it yourself since they are your personal beliefs.

 

[Darat]

Re: Re: Religion in the NHS?

I am sure that muslim standards of perinatal care can be provided. The mortality rate is 60 to 90 per thousand in Pakistan compared to around 6 in the UK. Her choice.

That is not Muslim standards of prenatal care, that is the standard of one country.

 

[richardm]

Re: Re: Religion in the NHS?

If you have beliefs which means that you require more then medical care, for instance diets that are religiously dictated rather then medically required, then the solution is quite simple, pay for it yourself since they are your personal beliefs.

Would you say that vegetarians should be in the same boat? I suppose at least they're easier to cater for in a lot of ways - when it's sausage and chips for tea then they just get chips, with no need to source special food.

However, I must say that when I read the article I did think that was the only complaint of hers that was legitimate. It should be an easy enough thing to arrange, I'd have thought.

 

[Darat]

Re: Re: Re: Religion in the NHS?

Would you say that vegetarians should be in the same boat? I suppose at least they're easier to cater for in a lot of ways - when it's sausage and chips for tea then they just get chips, with no need to source special food.

(Damn - I was having a rant don't make me think it all the way through I may have to change my mind.)

I think the answer has to be yes, the NHS provides a standard that is OKish for the vast majority of the patients that it has to deal with, it should not have an obligation to provide for the minority of (non-medical) exceptions.

However, I must say that when I read the article I did think that was the only complaint of hers that was legitimate. It should be an easy enough thing to arrange, I'd have thought.

I (despite my previous answers) tend to agree with you. If it’s possible, if it doesn’t mean additional resources (cost, time & people) are needed then there is no reason why, especially on a local level exceptions can't be catered for. But it shouldn't be a requirement of the NHS to cater to personal beliefs.

 

[fsol]

It would be more than simple to source Halal food in Birmingham I would have thought.

 

[Darat]

It would be more than simple to source Halal food in Birmingham I would have thought.

One point about that that has just occurred to me is that I would expect Halal meals to cost the NHS more, Therefore to perhaps argue the point to absurdity, which patient do you let die for the lack of money to pay for treatment because you’ve used that money giving someone the choice of having a Halal meal?

 

[Giz]

One point about that that has just occurred to me is that I would expect Halal meals to cost the NHS more, Therefore to perhaps argue the point to absurdity, which patient do you let die for the lack of money to pay for treatment because you’ve used that money giving someone the choice of having a Halal meal?

I think they should give everyone cheap vegetarian meals (even as a committed meat eater I think that sounds fair). That gets rid of all the problems (excepting vegans, but NOBODY sympathises with vegans so I think we're still okay).

 

[Darat]

I think they should give everyone cheap vegetarian meals (even as a committed meat eater I think that sounds fair). That gets rid of all the problems (excepting vegans, but NOBODY sympathises with vegans so I think we're still okay).

Given the results of many surveys and investigations into NHS hospital meals I'd consider the chances of getting anything even vaguely resembling meat in your meal pretty slim.

Pity more people aren't breatharians - the NHS could save millions.