The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7430 p682
9 December 2006

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NHS dress code expected

Guidance for the NHS in England on dress codes and religious belief is to be published early next year.

The guidance, which is being prepared by NHS Employers, will address situations where dress codes, staff uniforms, religious considerations and health and safety come together. It is expected to build on existing guidance contained in the Commission for Racial Equality’s employment code of practice and guidance on religious belief at work issued by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

An NHS Employers spokesman said: “It is a complex and sensitive issue, so we will be discussing it with employers and a wide range of stakeholders.”

According to the ACAS guide (PDF 570K), any prohibition on wearing items that symbolise religious belief has to be objectively justified.