How should medical staff react to this:

btw, a lot of discrimination (eg disability) is not illegal but unlawful. A restaurant, cab driver or whatever cannot be arrested for refusing to allow a disabled person service. The disabled person has to bring the case themselves in the Civil, not Criminal court. It takes a lot of time and you can't get legal aid for it, you have to pay a solicitor. Obviously if someone assaults someone because they're disabled, that's different and it is an arrestable offence.

Are some people assuming that some NHS workers may be less well qualified because they were trained overseas? Medical staff who may appear to be foreign nationals, were born in Britain, educated here and trained UK universities. How can people judge their medical expertise by the colour of their skin?

Is that what you mean by 'one of these individuals' *Grandmablue8? Someone you presume wasn't educated in the UK?

Grandmablue

Not really Callistemon. Clear incompetence and negligence by consultants who are protected and represented by BAPIO that when investigated claim racism to cloud and cover their negligence.... everyone MUST have a choice ....

The story on which this thread is based has nothing to do with incompetence and everything to do with racism that some NHS staff face.

So no, everyone shouldn’t have a choice if it’s based on racism

Exactly, suziewoozie. Classic example of 'whataboutery'.

Some might say it was a classic example of something much more unpleasant, mightn’t they?

And that is your choice Suziewoozie. Aren’t we lucky we all have one.

?????????

Grandmablue
What does that mean? They're words strung together grammatically but they don't make sense.

Suzie said the thread was based on racism, I said read the book ‘whistle in the wind’. NHS staff (all people) are susceptible to racism whatever colour they are, it’s irrelevant. My opinion is that everyone should have a choice as to who they have to operate/care for them. And I stated that suzie has that choice, as do we all.
Recently there was a case of a lovely, very elderly spinster lady who had been subjected to FGM. The only available carer was a white young male. She made the choice not to allow him near her.

No I didn’t Grand. Your example is quite quite different - that poor woman had rights under the Equality Act to same sex care - there is no right to same colour care.

It isn't just about medical staff, surgeons, etc.

I have many friends who came to this country to do nursing and some of the things they have told me are absolutely shocking. Some have been sworn at and even assaulted.

Is it illegal to say you will only accept treatment from a white surgeon? I'm not sure. I think the people who behave like this are really very unpleasant, but they still need to be treated. Given that there are usually many non-white doctors in the NHS, these prejudiced people will presumably have to wait their turn like everybody else but the wait may be longer because the pool of surgeons available to them will be so much smaller.

My dd is a trainee medic. Any patient can refuse treatment from any health care practitioner. They do not need to give a reason. Where it crosses the line is when a patient then goes on to justify their refusal on grounds which are discriminatory, as in the OP. Of course, no HCP would want to treat a patient against their will, because there's been a breakdown of trust, so they will try to find an alternative, which is a heck of a lot more than a racist deserves.

Quite frankly, if I need medical attention, I don't give a flying fig who treats me as long as they do their job!

suziewoozie

The story on which this thread is based has nothing to do with incompetence and everything to do with racism that some NHS staff face.

Totally agree SueDonim.
My DH & I have our life due to doctors, consultants and care staff of all colours and creeds. My point is racism is not a one way road. It is frequently used as a defence for poor stands and incompetence...hence everyone should have a choice.

Well said Pamela j1. Perfect answer,

If you're in London, around March, my family's theatre company, Pipeline Theatre, will be running an award-winning play at The Pleasance theatre called: "DRIP, DRIP, DRIP", based on racism in the NHS. Go on to their site for the actual dates. It is VERY good. Also, if you can prove you work in the NHS, you'll get cut-price tickets.

Lemon grove, the point is, the racist is offered treatment, that is what the NHS offers. It doesn’t offer choice of staff. If a racist says no black, Muslim, catholic, Gay staff....then they are choosing to refuse treatment. I worked in the NHS for donkeys years. Many occasions when a nurse or medic went to provide treatment and the patient refused on the basis of colour, race or sexual orientation. Invariably the consultant would come out and give the bottom line....you have a choice of this doctor/nurse or you can choose to leave. The NHS has fulfilled its contract.

Grandma blue why do you think that bigots, racists, fascist have a right to choose who treats them? Is a Tory right to ask for only Tory voting staff? Brexit voters allowed to refuse a European medic? Absolute piffle and that would be a Haters charter. If you work in the NHS then you are aware, they are drowning not waving, barely still providing an acceptable standard. If racists want to choose who treats them....then pay privately for that right or choose to do without.

If people are so vile as to refuse to be treated by a person of colour, maybe they should be told by NHS staff that they have the option to opt for private medical facilities where they can choose their own surgeons. The eye-watering price of treatment might change their attitude pretty damn quick!

Very well expressed Solange . That consultant sounded great - all should do that and if it’s the consultant who is at the receiving end, then a very senior manager should come and tell the patient the position.

Unbelievable, such hate in the world...

I think a patient should be told to go private if they want to refuse the doctor offered who is a competent surgeon,Consultant,practicioner.
Some of the best doctors we have are from overseas. My GP and his late partner came from Sri Lanka and have looked after my family for over 30 years. Thanks to his prompt referral when I had lymphoma it was diagnosed and treated quite quickly and succesfully. My haematoligist was from Ireland and of Italian descent. The doctor and nurse who carried out most of my treatment were both from Africa. Sometimes that nurse had to run the chemotherapy treatment room (of six patients) single handedly when her two nurse colleagues were off sick, in meetings and training. Whilst also being expected by the doctor to find him results/paperwork. Couldn't have had better treatment.
Many of the Consultants at our local hospitals have come here from overseas and we are grateful and glad to have them. Our NHS is understaffed and struggling to attract staff. We should look after them and treat them with respect. They are managing in difficult circumstances.

Both posts Solange You are right - people are mixing up the right to treatment with the right to treatment by a person of a colour of their choosing. We all have the right to refuse treatment obviously but what happens after that will be context dependent.