A London hospital has taken decisive action following a complaint of harassment of a Jewish couple during the birth of their child.
The nurse on duty was wearing several obvious pro-Palestinian symbols, including a watermelon lanyard, a Palestinian flag on her wrist-watch, a Palestinian themed, heart shaped badge and an inverted triangle badge with a keffiyeh pattern.
David Probert, the Chief Executive of University College London Hospital (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust and also Deputy Chief Executive of NHS England has responded to the complaint by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) to confirm that he has taken action to ensure that staff do not breach the uniform code by wearing political symbols at work. He has
- Sincerely apologised for the distress caused to the couple
- Circulated a Trust-wide reminder to all staff regarding adherence to the uniform policy
- Convened a meeting with senior nursing staff to review the incident and discuss appropriate measures including implementing a monitoring plan
- Personally reiterated the importance of compliance with UCLH’s uniform guidelines during a recent virtual all-staff briefing
- Conducted an investigation which revealed that the individual involved was a student on placement. UCLH requires all students to comply with its uniform policy and has engaged with the university to ensure that this requirement is clearly communicated and upheld
- All staff have been reminded that wearing political symbols is prohibited under the uniform policy. Any staff member who chooses to wear political symbols will be in violation of this policy, and appropriate action will be taken.
“The individual was making a very clear and conscious statement about her political beliefs,” the husband of the woman giving birth told UKLFI. “It is a very uncomfortable position to be in, when those who are entrusted with your family’s health and wellbeing hold views that are so blatantly hostile to the Jewish people.”
UKLFI’s letter had explained that UCLH was likely to have breached Section 29 of the Equality Act, because the conduct of the nurse probably amounted to harassment as defined in the Act, by creating a hostile and intimidating atmosphere for Jewish and Israeli patients.
UKLFI had also pointed out the regulations of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which include not expressing your personal beliefs in an inappropriate way.
A spokesperson for UKLFI commented: “We are grateful that the Chief Executive of UCLH NHS Foundation Trust has taken decisive action to prevent any future similar distressing incidents.”
The UCLH NHS Foundation Trust includes University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing, the Macmillan Cancer Centre, and the Middlesex Hospital, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.