Religious bias in the NHS and in the Prison Service

NHS and the Prison Service

The NHS and the Prison Service support "Spiritual and Pastoral Care" through permanent appointments and/or by paying expenses to visitors from external organisations. Such support appears to be restricted to the religious and is unavailable to humanists.

In the current issue of Freethinker (September 2004), a prisoner complains about his inability to find a humanist prepared to visit him. He accuses the humanist-secularist community of being "content to meet in small groups to smugly preach to each other about institutionalised religion and its discriminatory practices". This perhaps reflects badly on the humanist community, but the editor points out that "prison chaplains are funded by taxpayers. Humanist prison visitors are not, unlike, say, in Holland where both chaplains and humanist visitors are funded by the state".

An advertisement appeared in The Guardian on 1 September 2004 for a Spiritual & Pastoral Care Co-ordinator. The job advertisement announced that "West Hertfordshire Hospital NHS Trust are looking for a dynamic and inspirational faith leader, to lead the development and promotion of the 'Care of the Spirit' strategy". This is a permanent post (£28,016 pa). An essential requirement is for the applicant "To be a recognised faith leader, e.g. ordained Minister in good standing with his/her faith community", so no humanist need apply.

Religious and humanist prisoners or patients should have equal opportunities to talk to like-minded visitors. The present state discrimination in favour of the religious is inequitable, but are there enough humanists prepared and qualified to undertake this work?

In its latest Bulletin (Issue 28, October 2004), the National Secular Society appeals for secular prison visitors:

Prison Visitors
Some prisoners, two of whom are members, have asked whether they could receive a secular prison visitor, much as other prisoners receive chaplaincy visits, or representatives from their faith or denomination. After security clearance such visits can take place at more convenient times and places than is the case with the regular visits, and they do not count against prisoners' visitor allocation.

Those able to travel to Somerset or Wiltshire are particularly sought. Anyone interested is invited to contact Keith Porteous Wood at the office [of the National Secular Society].

Some progress?

BHA news for Sept/Oct 2004 reports "We [BHA] are meeting both the NHS and the prison service early in October to discuss humanist "chaplaincy" services and have also been asked to meet the Equality Chalenge Unit and the DfES department responsible for school organisation."

Gordon Peckham, Exeter