Paramedics organise faith summit

An NHS summit has been held to help emergency staff understand how religious and faith issues affect the emergency services.

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) held the event for staff and public.

EMAS' culture and diversity manager Mukesh Barot said cultural misunderstandings could cost lives.

In one incident, a paramedic treating a man with a heart attack was stopped by members of the Somali community who though the patient was being attacked.

Paramedics are sometimes asked to remove their shoes before entering a place of worship, such as a mosque, which means victims could lose vital seconds of treatment.

Beyond barriers

But people may not realise "what the impact of any delay would have on the patient" - losing quality of life, paralysis or even death, said Mr Barot.

He added the event in Leicester was because emergency staff wanted to better understand the beliefs and sensitivities of different communities.

But it was also vital for people to be aware of the actions paramedics need to take to ensure that a patient survives.

"This summit is really about getting beyond formal training... and actually consulting and engaging with communities and saying how can we get beyond some of the barriers that may be perceived or actual," Mr Barot said.

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