Just a quick note to M'unlearned friend regarding his comments a few posts up.

I am glad (though somewhat disorientated) to see you agreeing with the main thrust of my last post. Keep it up, your journey to the dark side will be complete...

You mentioned the case of the nurse I raised. I don't need links to newspaper stories, I work for / interfere in (delete as you feel fit) healthcare regulation. I could get the full file down but "to add to debate in a folk music forum" isn't a good enough excuse. I do know, as was made public by her employer, that after due warnings as per their HR polices, she was referred to the Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the case was dropped after she agreed that her approach was not consistent with the expectations of her registration. As a result, she was reinstated.

I have been involved in similar issues regarding infection control. (Large crucifix on a chain, bangles on wrists, arm coverings on female Muslim nurses and doctors to name a few.) In almost every case, common sense prevailed, even when draconian written policies had to be rewritten to be workable.

One overriding aspect of healthcare and religion which is to everybody's credit is that in the main, many healthcare professionals put their work before their creed. Hence seeing the naked body of a member of the opposite sex, giving contraception advice, dispensing morning after pills etc are carried out by many people who outside of their work would feel uncomfortable, but accept that not everybody shares their creed, nor would they be expected to. Their professionalism takes precedence, and we should all be grateful for that.

the media stories of issues are the few, not the many.