Suspension of Nurse Who Offered to Pray for Patient's Recovery Sparks Uproar
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle5675452.ece
The nurse who was suspended without pay for offering to pray for a patient's recovery has been reinstated and will return to work in the next few days.
Caroline Petrie, an evangelical Christian from Weston-super-Mare, was subjected to disciplinary action by North Somerset Primary Care Trust even though the patient was not offended and made no complaint.
Mrs Petrie, who was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was summoned last week to a disciplinary hearing on the charge that she had failed to demonstrate a "personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity".
North Somerset Primary Care Trust said yesterday that it recognised Mrs Petrie, a mother of two, had been acting in the "best interests of her patients" and that nurses did not have to "set aside their faith" in the workplace and could "continue to offer high-quality care for patients while remaining committed to their beliefs".
It also conceded that for some people prayer was an "integral part of health care and the healing process".
Sir Patrick Cormack, the Tory MP for South Staffordshire and a committed Anglican, told Parliament that the case illustrated the “utter absurdities” of political correctness.
Andrea Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre, said: "This is a great victory for Mrs Petrie, and for common sense. Today’s decision highlights the importance of being able to take personal faith into the workplace rather than being forced to leave it at the door for fear of being silenced by equality and diversity policies."
The turnaround by the trust comes amid a tightening up by Government on how far public sector workers can go in communicating their faith.
According to a document published by the Department of Health last month, any attempt by a doctor or nurse to proselytise during the course of their work is to be considered harassment or intimidation and will be subject to disciplinary procedures.
Religion or Belief: A Practical Guide for the NHS states that preaching or attempting to convert people in a workplace environment "can cause many problems, as non-religious people and those from other religions or beliefs could feel harassed and intimidated by this behaviour".
Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, said yesterday that the Government was working on changing the rules on the funding of faith-based charity work.
Speaking at the Evangelical Alliance Life Beyond Debt conference in central London, she said faith based charities have a "vital role to play" in the economic downturn. The Government is working on a "charter of excellence" that faith charities will be asked to sign.
"For every action that Government takes, there are local charities taking thousands of their own," she said. "When times are hard they come into their own. Some of those outstanding people working in those organisations are motivated by their faith. Some of the organisations themselves have a religious ethos."
Referring to Salford Central Church in her own constituency in particular, which recently became part of the Oasis Group, she said: "I’ve often found that churches, synagogues and mosques are the places where communities first get organised, the most forceful advocates for their neighbourhoods, and the most steadfast in rocky times when other organisations might falter.
"In my own constituency I think in particular of Salford Central Church. Recently it became part of the Oasis group. It is redoubling its work with the community - with everything from a drop-in centre to a cafe to sports teams for the young. Giving local people a place to go, sound advice about money and health, positive things to do with their spare time."
She also mentioned the Salvation Army, Churches Against Poverty and Church Action on Poverty.
She admitted that religious groups have not always received their fair share of public money because some local authorities through ignorance or mistrust have "fought shy" of working with them. She said that the new charter, which should be ready by the end of the year, would help address this. "The charter would mean faith groups who are paid public money to provide services promising to provide those services to everyone, regardless of their background. And promising not to use public money to proselytise.
"It’s not about trying to stop the people manning the soup kitchens or making the home visits talking about their faith if people ask, or being open about what motivates them. It is about making sure that services funded by public money are unconditional - clearly and unequivocally so - with no strings attached."
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Originally Posted by PostmodernProphet
