Religion and Belief
Find out more about Religion and Belief. It is our aim to use this website to share and exchange information with relevant partners from the Health Service and those who are working with the Health Service in Scotland.
It is essential for healthcare staff and managers to be aware of a patient’s or staff member’s religion or belief. If ignored, a lack of knowledge can result in unwitting discrimination. In the past there was no specific protection against discrimination for most religious groups.
The Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003 and other regulations give legal protection to those who are religious or who hold a set of belief. The regulations also cover people without religious or similar beliefs.
Appropriate recognition of religious practices and preferences, and consideration of the patient’s spiritual needs are particularly important in the care of the dying and in dealing with the deceased and their family after death. This has relevance in many areas such as the care offered in the Maternity Units at a time of pre-natal or neo-natal death. Consideration of spiritual needs equally applies to people who have a non-religious stance.
Resources
Spritual Care Matters
This document has been written to provide a reference for any healthcare staff who need or wish to find out more about spiritual care. It gives a picture of the various areas which may be understood as the ingredients of spiritual care and of various initiatives and documents which are already in existence. Its purpose is to encourage staff to continue and to develop the practice of spiritual care in their place of work.
Department of Health NHS Guide to Religion and Belief
This resource gives practical advice to NHS organisations to help them comply with recent equality legislation, understand the role of religion or belief in the context of healthcare, and integrate this knowledge into their single equality schemes (SESs).
Multifaith Resource for NHS Staff
Scotland is a religiously and culturally diverse country and this resource is designed to assist NHS staff to address some of the religious needs of patients in their care.
Religion and Belief Matter - An information resource for healthcare staff
Understanding and responding to the religious and belief needs of patients as they relate to their use of NHS services is no longer an option, but essential. This resource demonstrates not only what the faith groups themselves see as important, but also why staff should try to meet and support their needs.
See what the Equality and Human Rights Commission (external link) is doing to tackle discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief.
Reviewed 1 August 2010