The National Secular Society (NSS) lodged a complaint against a Christian Doctor for praying with patient which allegedly made them uncomfortable.
However, Richard Scott, 59 has been cleared the General Medical Council, which oversees and licenses doctors over the allegation after three-month investigation. A letter by reads “no first-hand account of complaint from any patient about Dr Scott’s practice.”
“The NSS sent an anonymous hearsay account about how Dr Scott expressed his religious beliefs to a ‘highly vulnerable’ patient,” the General Medical Council said. “There is no convincing evidence that Dr. Scott imposes his personal religious beliefs upon potentially vulnerable patients.”
The Medical council added that there “is no evidence that [Dr Scott] discusses faith in situations where the patient has stated that they do not wish to discuss these matters” or that “he has continued to discuss faith after a patient has indicated that they do not welcome such a discussion.”
Scott, however made it known that the NSS “was targeting not just me” but “also the freedom of Christian professionals across the UK to share their faith in the workplace.”
“The toll placed on my family and me, as a result of one spurious complaint, was totally unnecessary,” he said. “Yet it is my hope that this outcome will mean other Christian practitioners will not have to go through similar experiences.”
Christian Legal Centre has been in support of Scott, applauded the General Medical Council’s decision.
The Chief executive of the body, Andrea Williams, “The outcome of this case,” she said, “not only gives reassurance to Christian doctors and professionals across the UK that they can share their faith in the workplace, but also clear guidance on how they can share it without fear of losing their job.”
Aphorism CITY 