- Conference
- 2009 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 10 December 2008
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes the threats to democracy and civil harmony posed by the posturing and mantra of the racist British National Party (BNP.)
Membership of the BNP is wholly incompatible with public service, and this is especially so for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors who have a unique role in caring for vulnerable people on a daily basis. The BNP draws on the ideology of fascism, and as such is totally at odds with the core professional values of nursing. The history of fascist discrimination and persecution of the most vulnerable and powerless contradicts the philosophy of nurse as carer and advocate. They even go so far as to blame falling standards of care and hygiene on immigrant labour in the NHS; shamefully neglecting to appreciate the important and valuable role in the NHS played by overseas nurses and other workers.
The Nursing & Midwifery Council code stipulates that nurses should never discriminate against people under their care. This alone renders membership of a discriminatory party incompatible with membership of the community of nurses. Nurses do not just need to subscribe to a doctrine of anti-discriminatory practise; they need to be seen to do so. The philosophy of nursing is to show compassion and provide high standards of care to all patients, to facilitate culturally sensitive care to all individuals irrespective of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability or faith. It is already accepted as incompatible for police officers to be members of the BNP. This should be the same for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors.
Moreover, core dimension 6 of the Knowledge & Skills Framework (Equality & Diversity) is applicable to all staff employed under “Agenda for Change” terms & conditions, reinforcing the position that membership of a racist party is not compatible with working in the NHS.
Health care has benefited from migration since the inception of the NHS and before. NHS organisations are committed both in principle and in law to equality. It requires staff to work in a non discriminatory manner and takes action if patients discriminate against its staff. To have a loophole in which nurses, midwives and health visitors to be employed by one organisation but belong to another whose principles are against the ethos of care, dignity and compassion is unacceptable.
Conference calls on the SGE to:
1.Raise this issue with Government and the four Departments of Health to seek to establish legal powers to preclude BNP members and members of other racist groups from employment in nursing roles;
2.Ensure that the standards within Improving Working Lives are tightened to take account of the importance of diversity;
3.Press the Nursing and Midwifery Council to support our call for legislation on this issue and to issue interim explicit advice to registrants on the standard expected of them in regard to anti-discriminatory practise.
4. Produce information about the BNP’s policies and views on health, disability and gender to demonstrate just how incompatible these policies are with our union policies on health services, anti-discrimination, equality and diversity.