by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - England’s National Health Service (NHS) agreed at the eleventh hour to settle a case brought by a Christian doctor who was subjected to severe disciplinary measures for mentioning his faith in Jesus to a patient, Christian Today (CT) reports. Dr Richard Scott was due to challenge the NHS action in a tribunal in Kent on Monday but before the hearing, the NHS agreed to settle the case.
A General Practitioner for 35 years, Scott was placed under investigation by NHS England in 2019 after an anonymous complaint by a patient through the UK’s National Secular Society. The patient complained that Scott had inappropriately spoken about his faith in Jesus during a medical consultation. Notably, the NHS took the matter to the General Medical Council not once but twice, and, on both occasions, the GMC cleared Scott of any violation of medical ethics, CT reports.
Despite the GMC’s declaration that Scott had done nothing wrong, the NHS insisted that he should attend a course on “professional boundaries” - at his own expense of £1,800, CT reports. This action was especially painful as this type, of course, is normally for practitioners who inappropriately touch their patients.
"The course they tried to force me to go on was essentially aimed at sexual miscreants and fraudsters,” Scott told the Christian Post. “There was nothing that I could see was relevant to me. I was outraged," he said. "Sadly, I have seen a deep intolerance from some parts of the NHS towards Christian beliefs and a complete lack of understanding of what prayer is and how it positively impacts people's lives." In settling the case, Scott agreed, as a gesture of goodwill to take a one-day course on professional boundaries.
"The toll on me and my family over the past few years has been immense, and I hope the matter is now finally closed," Scott said about the settlement. "I hope this outcome acts as an encouragement to other Christian professionals that it is more than ok to share your faith and that freedom is worth fighting for."