BMA guidance - Managing discrimination from patients and their guardians and relatives (1 March 2022)

Summary

Employers have a duty of care to support doctors when they are faced with an abusive patient or their guardians/relatives. This guidance from the British Medical Association (BMA) gives background information and steps that all employers and healthcare workers should take when discrimination against a healthcare worker occurs.

Content

The guidance is based on the following key principles:

• All healthcare workers have a right to work in an environment free from abuse, harassment, and unlawful discrimination.
• Employers should take active and explicit steps to protect their staff from abuse, harassment, and unlawful discrimination. This should involve the police and social services where appropriate.
• The impact of discrimination on doctors should be acknowledged and appropriate support including wellbeing interventions provided for those who are on the receiving end of abuse and discriminatory behaviours.
• All patients have a right to emergency healthcare regardless of their behaviour, where this can be provided safely.
• All patients have a right to non-emergency care, but this is conditional.
• There are some instances in healthcare where requesting a personal characteristic of a healthcare worker is valid.