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British doctors are claiming for the right to discuss religion with their patients. This sensitive and controversial issue will be taken up for discussion at the annual meeting of the British Medical Association (BMA), as reported by BBC.

Religion and spirituality has always been discouraged in mainstream medicine. Many nurses and doctors have lost their jobs for giving religious advice to patients. For instance, a bank nurse Anand Rao had to give up his job after he tried to instil faith in his patients by invoking religion. In another case, a female nurse by the name Caroline Petrie was suspended for doing the same.

The strictness maintained by medical authorities in this regard has frustrated doctors all over the country. Cancer specialist Dr Bernadette Birtwhistle, of the Christian Medical Fellowship comments that not only is freedom of expression and professional independence affected, but also spirituality is not given an opportunity to exercise the healing power that it often has on people.

On the contrary, the health department claims that provision of spiritual guidance is the job of NHS’ Chaplaincy Services. Moreover, as, Jonathan Chamberlain, a partner at Wragge & Co commented, once the employers have clearly stated a non religious employment policy, the employees have to follow that at work irrespective of what their personal beliefs may be. The CIPD Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice provides a firm foundation in all the areas of HR and employment law; click on CIPD training for a course which will help you understand how employment practice works within a personnel department.