Muslim woman wants religion put before hospital hygiene rules

A Muslim woman radiographer at a Berkshire hospital is claiming she was discriminated against because she refused to follow the national hospital dress code aimed at combating the spread of superbugs. She has now left her job.

The woman refused to follow the ruling that says that arms must be uncovered, either from wearing short-sleeved uniform or by rolling up the sleeves. This policy has been introduced to combat the alarming spread of MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

The woman said Islam teaches that women should dress modestly and cover their bodies while in public, and therefore the rules forced her "to choose between her religious beliefs and her livelihood”. She had worked as a therapeutic radiographer for 10 years, and described her situation as a “continuous nightmare”. She says she has been “emotionally torn about” over losing her job.

She said that she fears she may not be able to get another job, but has vowed to campaign against the NHS’s “bare below the elbows” policy.

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she wants to “prevent the policy from being universally applied, so other Muslim women do not experience the same trauma.”

05 September 2008