In 2018 the Muslim Doctors Association (MDA) conducted a rapid review to explore religious discrimination in the NHS. This followed the initial GMC ruling on the Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba case and access to GMC data which demonstrated higher complaints, fitness to practice investigations and more serious sanctions against BAME doctors. The MDA was also contacted by Muslim health professionals facing difficulties at work due to their faith. The NHS Constitution embodies core values of respect, dignity, compassion and inclusion but recent evidence demonstrates that little progress has been made to address discrimination against groups with protected characteristics. The King’s Fund report in 2015 highlighted that people from all religions experience discrimination on the basis of their faith, but this is by far the highest amongst Muslims. International research on Muslim doctors working in Western countries has highlighted the multiple barriers and prejudices they face. However, research in the UK has focused almost exclusively on racial discrimination with limited information on doctors of faith. The aims of the rapid review were to assess doctors’ perceptions of the factors influencing the ruling on the Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba, assess the prevalence of religious discrimination, and explore experiences of religious discrimination amongst female Muslim doctors working in the NHS.
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