A hospital trust I visited last week sent me their potted statistics.

Their catchment area is very white British, running at 83% and 12% Easten European. The small rest of the local population? Add a few takeaways and you are basically left with professionals, mainly in NHS.

Easy. 52% of the doctors, (consultant and staff grade) are Muslim.

At another hospital a few years ago whilst there on behalf of a regulator, I investigated an issue of a nurse with a long dangling chain with a crucifix being asked not to wear it, in line with the uniform code, in line with infection control considerations. She was taking this further, trust only interested in respecting foreigners etc etc, the usual caring Christian attitude we know and love....

In the meantime, I asked three Muslim nurses about bare below the elbows, touching men and other Islamic taboos. All three stated that you leave your faith at the door when caring for patients. If a trust supplies disposable arm covers, great. If not, get on with it. A Muslim doctor told me he was hugely concerned by the nurse pushing her Christianity against sensible health precautions as other people, including many Muslim healthcare professionals might follow the idea as many have a genuine cultural aversion to some of the things they are asked to do but see their care for patients as more important.

We are a multicultural society. Asking what WE do about THEM just shows the dinosaur mentality of an unfortunate chav element.