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Hospital chiefs make U-turn over NHS Muslim prayer beds
Last updated at 02:07am on 07.12.07Hospital chiefs who ordered nurses to turn around the beds of Muslim patients so they could face Mecca five times a day, have issued a climbdown.
Hospital staff will now only be asked to perform the duty for the terminally ill.
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Hospital staff in West Yorkshire must make sure Muslim patients' beds face in the direction of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia
The measures were put in place by Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust to ensure Muslim patients have a "more comfortable stay in hospital". But nurses were obliged to break off from their health care duties to perform the ritual.
The pilot scheme came after hundreds of staff attended tax-payer-funded workshops with Muslim GPs and ethnic-minority support groups on how best to help patients.
During these meetings, nurses were told that if a patient asked for water to bathe in, or for their bed to be turned to face Mecca, this should be considered.
They were told the measure should be carried out if "practically possible." But an experienced nurse at Dewsbury and District Hospital in Yorkshire where the ideas were tested, blasted the scheme.
She said: "It would be easier to create Muslim-only wards with every bed facing Mecca than deal with this.
"We have a huge Muslim population in Dewsbury and if we are having to turn dozens of beds to face Mecca five times a day, plus provide running water before and after prayers, it is bound to impact on the essential medical service we are supposed to be providing.
"Although the beds are designed to be moved, the bays are not really suitable for having loads of beds moving around to face a different direction and, despite our best efforts, it does cause disruption for non-Muslim patients."
Conservative MP David Davies also criticised the idea, saying: "Hospitals should be concentrating on stopping the spread of infections than kowtowing to the politically-correct brigade."
The workshops - led by the hospital's chief matron Catherine Briggs - looked at Muslims' religious concerns over being in hospital.
A key part of Islamic faith is praying five times a day to Mecca, Saudi Arabia - revered as the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed.
Muslims are also meant to wash themselves in running water prior to prayer.
The scheme came just a year after some NHS hospitals introduced Burka-style gowns for Muslim patients who did not want to show their face during operations.
Reader views (25)
As a Muslim, I think this is absolute tosh. There really is no need for nurses to have to turn the beds towards Mecca in such a strict manner. In fact if you are sick, you are not actually obliged to pray 5 times a day anyway! If you are that pious you would know that, and any attempt to pray in a hospital bed is laudable regardless of the direction in which it is done! I am so sick of people like this making Islam out to be some sort of strange, strict and irrational religion when really it is not at all!
- Anon, London, England
Absurd! That is their own job and that of their families.
How that hospital could have ever put that burden on their nurses is just ridiculous on the face of it. I'm surprised they didn't all walk out. No way is that in their job description.
The Muslims only ward is the only thing that makes sense.
A hospital's only purpose is to relive pain and suffering and cure disease, not to be politically correct.
- N. A. Richards, San Diego, Calif USA
What a mess the NHS is in. All these social case interest groups think they can get everything for free.
- Peter, London NW1.
They don't need to face Mecca in bed to pray - they just want to and gullible hospital managements have not the will to reject unreasonable demands. You get the hospital managers you deserve.
- Peter Haldane, London
I cannot believe the comments. As I understand it was the managers who made the decision, not the patients so why the tirade of abuse against the patients.
These people have lived, worked and paid taxes and are entitled to free NHS care just like everybody else.
- Ian, London
What a joke! Ill in hospital, you're at the mercy of the professional staff that care for you. There the only people you need to face!
- Sanjay, London, UK
I hope the H&S people have done a risk assesment for the nurse who is requested to move beds. Then that way when that nurse goes sick with a bad back they can be fully paid by the people who set this stupid instruction.
If they need to face Mecca let there family move the bed as surely it's a family thing praying together for good health.
Next we will have prison warders moving cell beds for the comfort of the people in jail to see the sky.
Wake up people.
- Terry, London
It reminds me of Fawlty Towers where Basil retorts, after Mrs Fawlty asked him arrange some re-decoration, "Shall I move the hotel a couple of feet to the left for you dear?"!
- Martin Hughes, Oxford
Surely they can pray at home?
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Oh the humanity!
- Gary, London
I have experince of this hospital and this decision by management does not suprise me. They can`t get appointments right, they over rule consultants on their operating periods (which have been cut by the mangement). Bed managers are ordering patients be sent home when doctors say they have to stay another day. They do not seem interested in the medical and clinical care only in being politically correct.
Whatever that is. This hospital used to be wonderful, now I only hope I`m not ill until the management changes. On the other hand if I am admitted I will place my order for an end room facing the sun.
- Pam, Leeds, England
This is absolute lunacy of the highest order. I am a nurse, but I am beginning to have my reservations about my career.
We're over stretched and underpaid. We have threats of violence and abuse to deal with.
- Rick Bostock, Kidderminster
Firstly, Muslims don’t have to offer prayers when seriously sick, which is what you would be if in hospital.
Secondly, is it Muslims asking for this provision, or some politically correct bureaucracy gone mad?
Thirdly, as a Muslim I have to wonder if this is just about stirring up differences between us instead of celebrating the things we share: fairness, equality, charity, respect for others, honesty, family, neighbours, etc
Also, some Muslims don't do the rest of us any favours by demanding special treatment that is separate from the rest of society (face covering gowns when being operated on?). Why are these people living in the UK, if they can't adapt to living in the here?
- Imran Khan, London, UK
The loonies are running the asylum again I see (or has April first come early).
No disrespect whatsoever to the Muslim patients, but the nurses have enough to do as it is, and funds are already stretched to breaking point.
- M.Dixon, Bradford, West Yorks
This is frankly stupid. You do NOT have to pray if you are ill.
- Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta, London, UK
As an ex nurse may I say that assisting a client's religious needs is part of the job. For example I've helped make special arrangements for Christmas day.
I am not a Christian but I was always sensitive to the religious needs of Christian clients. Indeed health care prior to the modern era was provided in the main by religious orders and attending to spiritual as well as physical well being was the norm.
- Steve Johnston, Edinburgh
Muslims are not encouraged to pray while sick and certainly not five times a day. Anyone who is well enough to be praying is well enough to move their own lazy self. The NHS has a duty to provide clean, safe, equipped and staffed hospitals, when they actually bother to meet that basic standard they can talk about patient comforts.
- Jayson Bank, London, UK
This is wonderful news and I can't compliment Britain enough on being kind and sensitive! (I hope other countries soon become as giving; Canada and Sudan come to mind.)
- Brad Brzezinski, Ottawa, Canada
When we get news reports that nurses do not even have time to feed old people properly, this kind of time-wasting initiative seems absolutely bonkers.
- Claire, London
Whoa! Isn't there a Mulsim dispensation for the sick at times of prayer? Much the same as for any religion? At least that's how it was when I was nursing over there. Illness means they are unable to take full part in their devotions. Good grief, don't nurses and hospitals have enough troubles without more being foisted on them by faceless bureaucrats?
Nurses have a duty to care for their patients - ALL of them! Not just the ones marked for special treatment. What are the needy missing out on while nurses and care staff are carrying out this PC-bred nonsense? There are an awful lot of religions out there, each with their own rites (in the proper sense of the word). Are these to be accommodated as well?
- Rogan, Dallas TX
This is wasting public funds at a maximum! No wonder NHS standards are so low. How does Nu Labor get away with this one again?
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
When will the madness end?
- John, London
How completely irresponsible and ridiculous! What happens when a Muslim patient switches beds between different wards after procedures - are they meant to switch round beds in or cardiac care or trauma or spinal or the million and one other wards? How about the ambulances - will they require rotating beds linked to sat nav, so they can rotate as they go round corners? It's just more PC posturing by dogoody lefties. They should thank themselves lucky they are even in a bed - many of us put up with trollies in corridors!
- Gary Parker, Amersham
Can they just turn the patient's head?
- Dave Houlbrooke, Manchester, UK
We are not in Saudia Arabia and nurses should not be forced to take part by accomodating these requests for religious activities. If Muslims want to face Mecca and it is so important for them to do so while in hosptial, family members or people from their mosque can accomodate their requests. The NHS is stretched as it is and should not be treated like a hotel service.
- Brandon Thomas, London, UK
