OVERSTRETCHED NHS NOT TOO BUSY TO PANDER TO RELIGION -- Guess which one?

Overworked nurses have been ordered to stop their work five times a day - and move Muslim patients' beds to face towards Mecca. The procedure is creating turmoil among staff on NHS wards already struggling through a lack of beds. But Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust says the rule must be implemented whenever possible to ensure Muslim patients have "a more comfortable stay in hospital".

A taxpayer-funded training programme for hundreds of hospital staff has already begun to ensure they are familiar with the workings of the Muslim faith. The scheme is initially being run at Dewsbury and District Hospital, West Yorks, but is set to be expanded to other areas. It comes after the introduction in some NHS hospitals last year of Burkha-style gowns for Muslim patients.

Last night the move was slammed with critics saying the NHS would be much better off spending cash on tackling MRSA. One nurse at Dewsbury said: "It would be easier to create Muslim-only wards with every bed facing Mecca. Some people might think it is not that big a deal but we have a huge Muslim population in Dewsbury. "If we are having to turn dozens of beds to face Mecca five times a day, plus provide running water for them to wash before and after prayers, it is bound to impact on the essential medical service we are supposed to be providing."

The changes have been introduced by Dewsbury and District Hospital's chief matron Catherine Briggs. She said: "Some of our former Muslim patients suggested that a more informed understanding of the Islamic cultures would help staff to further improve their service. We always do our best to listen to our patients and are willing to adapt our nursing practices where possible to help patients uphold their cultural beliefs. "After this training our staff will have a greater understanding of different cultures and will be in a better position to do this." The Mecca proposal will be widened to hospitals in Pontefract and Wakefield in the New Year.

Outraged Tory Monmouth MP David Davies said: "Hospitals should be concentrating on stopping the spread of hospital infections which are claiming the lives of hundreds of patients every year than kowtowing to the politically correct brigade." And Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, West Yorks, and anti-political correctness campaigner and added: "I'm sure nurses and medical staff have got far better things to do with their time than constantly move beds around so patients are facing the right way. "This seems a totally unnecessary burden to their workload."

A spokeswoman for the Mid Yorkshire Trust added: "This is all part of our holistic approach to treating patients of all faiths. "Where it is safe and practical to do so we will move the beds of seriously ill patients so that they face towards Mecca five times a day should a patient request it. "But we also are keen to accommodate all faiths, for example if a patient is Roman Catholic then we would try and ensure they can receive Holy Communion.

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