The NHS Muslim Network has produced a guide on how to convert to Islam and encouraged non-Muslim staff to fast during Ramadan - a move that has prompted serious questions about the role of religion within the UK’s public services.
The revelations were made by Nick Dunning, GB News Originals Editor, in an investigation that explores the growing influence of identity-based networks within the NHS.
“We have exclusively revealed that the NHS Muslim Network has released a guide for conversion to Islam,” Dunning said. “We also expose the fact that NHS managers had been encouraging NHS staff who weren't Muslim to fast for Ramadan, saying that to do so they would be showing their allyship with Muslim colleagues.”
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'I haven’t seen Christian or Jewish conversion guides' - Nick Dunning on NHS Muslim Network
GB News
Dunning noted that many GBN members had reacted with confusion. “The question I got was: we’re baffled. Why is religion so involved in our public services?”
To understand this, he pointed to the Equality Act 2010, introduced by the outgoing Labour government. The legislation enshrined a number of protected characteristics in law - including religion - and led institutions like the NHS to create staff networks based on these identities.
“That allowed for the formation of the networks,” Dunning explained. “Some networks, they do advocate for policies and some seem to be going a little bit further, like the NHS Muslim Network.”
He also highlighted a disparity in how different religious groups within the NHS appear to engage staff. “I haven’t seen any guides from the Christian or Jewish networks about conversion, nor have I seen invitations for non-Christians to celebrate Lent. And I’ve not seen anything from the Jews about Yom Kippur.”
Donald Trump is beginning to rollback DEI policies in America.
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The issue feeds into wider concerns around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies within UK public institutions - policies that are increasingly being rolled back in the United States.
“If you want to see that rollback in Britain, the first thing we’re going to need to look at is the Equality Act,” Dunning said. “Because it’s quite clear from our revelations today that it’s the Equality Act that has allowed this to happen.”
The findings from Nick's investigation have sparked debate over whether the original intent of equality legislation is being extended into ideological territory, particularly in environments meant to be secular and inclusive for all.
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