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Clarification required for questions at the...

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"Clarification required for questions at the..."

About: Mount Vernon Hospital Site

I recently visited the Minor Injuries Unit which I have also visited a couple of times before. I have always found the medical staff very helpful and understanding and was always very satisfied with the service we received. However I would like have one question clarified. I brought my 2 year old son and my 7 year old also accompanied us there. The lady at the reception asked a few standard questions, name, age, address etc but at the end she asked what the religion was. Now I don’t know at what age a child should know what their religion is but I do know that our 2 year old has not expressed any religious views and neither has he ever told us what his religion was. I was quiet surprised by this question and would like to ask you to clarify whether this was a standard question for ALL who visit the hospital or only reserved for some people? Also could you please explain the reason the hospital would need to know the religion of a 2 year old? Please note that this is not a complaint as such but just for my information so we are not wondering why we are being asked this question in the future. Thank you.

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Responses

Response from Mount Vernon Hospital Site 6 years ago
Mount Vernon Hospital Site

Submitted on 22/02/2018 at 15:31
Published on nhs.uk at 16:07

I am pleased to hear that you have been satisfied with the service that you have received in the past, and hope that you were not offended by the question regarding your child’s religion.

Like all NHS establishments, we are required to record specific data for all of our users, in order to provide the best service possible. All patients are asked for their religion amongst other things. I appreciate why you might feel this is irrelevant, however it is a requirement. If no entry is made on the system, the receptionist cannot continue with the admission process.

Often a patient or parent will state that there is no religion, and this is an acceptable entry. Generally data of this kind is used to plan services in an area, relevant to the population. Patients who have visited previously will already have a religion entered, and therefore may not be asked this, or any of the other data gathering questions on their subsequent visits.

Additionally we do sometimes have to take religion into account when prescribing medication, or recommending treatment, therefore this information can be useful for the clinical staff too.

I hope that this will not deter you from using our service in the future.

Linda Hirst - Lead Nurse for the Minor Injury Unit

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