Bibles could be removed from hospital bedsides in Nottingham
NOTTINGHAM'S hospital trust has sparked a row after revealing plans to remove Bibles from bedside lockers.
Bosses at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital say the Gideon Bibles are hard to clean and it wants bedside areas and patients' lockers to be tidy and "clutter-free".
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Medical director Dr Stephen Fowlie
The aim of the move is to reduce rates of superbugs such as Clostridium difficile and MRSA.
But church officials say Bibles only pose a "minimal risk" of infection.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, which oversees 300 churches in Notts, said: "For many patients, [Bibles have] been a source of comfort and support through uncertainty and illness.
"It is unsatisfactory that patients may now have to ask a nurse for a Bible to look at.
"This would intrude on the personal privacy they have to read a copy from their own locker, whenever they chose to, rather than having to trouble a member of staff with a request, which they may feel unhappy to do.
"This new proposed policy does not appear to be patient-focused, as it would reduce the resources for spiritual support at a time when they are most needed."
She said other "creative solutions" should be looked at, such as plastic covers, or shrink wrapping, to reduce the risk of infection.
The trust confirmed that Bibles brought in by Gideon International would not be allowed in the lockers when first asked by the Post this week.
Medical director Dr Stephen Fowlie said the hospitals' infection control team had advised that only "essential items" were stored in lockers or left between beds.
Hospital managers and Gideon International were all informed about the decision to remove the Bibles.
But the trust later backtracked on the outright ban, claiming the idea was only one of several possible options to improve infection control and it now planned to ask people for their views on the issue.
Director of nursing Jenny Leggott said: "We will be discussing all options and taking into account all needs and views over the coming days with relevant colleagues, including chaplaincy and patients before coming to a final decision."
Other religious texts are kept in the hospital trust's multi-faith centre and are available upon request.
Prayer mats are available for patients but cannot be kept in wards while not in use.
Infection control staff have already started removing furnishings, furniture and display boards from wards because they can become contaminated by spores.
Nottingham University Hospitals Trust has reduced the number of superbugs in the last three years.
In 2005, Leicester's hospital trust considered banning Bibles from patients' bedside lockers for the same reason.
But days later bosses said that the change, criticised as "political correctness gone mad", would not go ahead.
86 Comments
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by j, leic
Monday, July 26 2010, 11:11PM
“" i thought this was a christian country
Shirley, nottingham"
Really? Did you? Nope, we're secular. Have been for some time.”
by Albert, Arnold
Monday, July 26 2010, 10:47PM
“Charlie,
"i object to bibles being provided at tax payers expense"
I suggest you read the article properly then. Especially the bit where it says "Bibles brought in by Gideon International", and then read up on what they do.
Gideon provide these Bibles free of charge. And according to Wikipedia, they've distributed 1.9 Billion of them since they started in 1908.”
by Shirley, nottingham
Monday, July 26 2010, 8:28PM
“i thought this was a christian country”
by MadBadger, The Sett
Monday, July 26 2010, 3:58PM
“Howabout we scrap the bibles and just provide a laptop computer by every bed,that way any one of any faith could log on to their own religious sites and read away to their hearts content.
I would advise these laptops to have full unrestricted access to the internet as i have had problems logging onto various sites from public computers in the library,it is actually a mans right to download porn, if he so wishes to do so.
Freedom for all i say.”
by Charlie, Sherwood
Monday, July 26 2010, 12:26PM
“In this country you are free to worship whatever god you want but you are also free to not worship a god (the last poll that was done on this showed that nearly 70% of people living in this country were atheists, by the way) so no one is stopping you worshipping your god and no one can top you bringing your own bible to hospital. However, i object to bibles being provided at tax payers expense when that money could be better spent on drugs, equipment, nurses, and doctors. Also, as books are difficult to clean i object to my chances of catching a super bug increasing by their continued provision.”
by onlooker, nodding
Sunday, July 25 2010, 11:45PM
“spot on mate , but the pc bedwetters aren't listening”
by Worlds Largest Religion, Christianity, .
Sunday, July 25 2010, 11:07PM
“I'm astounded by what i've just read in this article. The bible as sacred book to the vast majority of the worlds population and even if a person isn't that religious or spiritual im sure if they go into hospital, having the bible next to them would give them an extra boost and a sense of relief in a way. I for one think what it says in this article is a load of rubbish, and the real reason is that now days we have to be so careful with what we do, soon the whole culture of england and possibily the world would have changed after living the way we've lived for many many years. There would have been complains by muslims that they wanted the koran next to the table, and to not upset them, the fairest was is to get rid of the bible, simple. And i think its an absolute disgrace. Soon, say bye to jeans and say hello to burka's. This is modern day England, what a farse. David Cameron pull your finger out and sort things out.”
by Gordon, Nottingham
Sunday, July 25 2010, 10:54PM
“I have read the koran, the tenakh, the bible, and you know what? They all say the same thing. Even the names are the same. Ebrahim = Abraham, Suleman = Solomon, Jesus = Isas, Mary = Maryam, Joseph = Yusuf etc... They all have the same stories but differing cultural baggage. A core of truth floating in a sea of perversions.”
by Bill Lawrenson, Keyworth
Sunday, July 25 2010, 8:04PM
“Well I suppose I must be thankful they are not proposing burning them although many posters would appear to be ready to advocate this. I am surprised no one took up "wigwam's" valid comment but all got on with the weekend preoccupation of insulting each other.”
by j, leic
Sunday, July 25 2010, 7:59PM
“Jesus wept. Onlooker, they don't put the Koran in hospital rooms. If they did, of course it would apply to it, why ON EARTH would it not? Do you honestly believe this rubbish that some people spout this Islam somehow gets special treatment??!!!
You do understand that this story isn't about hospitals banning people from bringing in their own books, don't you? The Gideon Bible is referred to because the hospital puts them in the rooms.”