Regulator to consider national guidelines for employers in NHS
There will be a review into whether NHS staff should be allowed to wear full face veils at work, the Department of Health has confirmed.
Ministers have written to the General Medical Council, asking the regulator to decide whether niqabs pose a problem for face-to-face contact.
There is currently no national NHS guidance on wearing full face veils, and uniform policies vary between hospitals.
Some permit the niqab for religious regions, while others have decided that they hinder effective communication between staff and patients and cannot be worn.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduced a rule banning the full face veil in 2009. It said the move was to ensure clear communication – particularly for patients “with additional needs who rely on visual cues to assist understanding”.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that national guidelines were a “matter for the professional standards bodies” rather than politicians.
But he told the BBC: “I think it is very important that patients do get proper contact with the doctors and nurses who are looking after them. Certainly if I was a patient myself, I’d want to be able to see the face of the doctor or nurse who was treating me.”
There is no official data on the number of NHS staff who wear niqabs – but it is believed to be very few – or who would do so if they were not prohibited by individual hospitals.
NHS Employers said that some healthcare organisations would welcome guidance on this “sensitive issue”.
“Valuing diversity is one of the core values of the NHS – our staff come from all backgrounds as do our patients,” said Professor Carol Baxter, head of equality, diversity and human rights at NHS Employers.
“However, to ensure the highest level of care is delivered, it is paramount that there are no barriers to effective communication between staff and patients.
“NHS organisations have a duty to determine appropriate dress for staff, depending on their role and the tasks they perform. This must be done in close collaboration with patients, staff, faith groups and community representatives.”
The debate about wearing niqabs at work and in public settings has escalated over recent weeks, after the start of the academic year saw Birmingham Metropolitan College take a U-turn on its new ban on face veils.
The college had decided to outlaw all face coverings and headgear – including hoodies, hats and veils – for campus security reasons. But a petition against the move led the college to revise its policy to allow face coverings to be worn for “cultural” reasons.
Conservative MP Philip Hollobone has also tabled a bill to make it illegal to wear face coverings in public. The politician has refused face-to-face meetings with his constituents who wear the burqa or the niqab.