A NHS Nurse with over 40-years experience has been sacked after he suggested two “patients” might go to Church to relieve stress during a role play session on a training course.

Committed Christian, Anand Rao, aged 71, was taking part in simulated situations as part of an exercise in palliative care. He advised two persons playing the roles of husband and wife patients they might like to try going to church to relieve stress. He was then sacked.

Mr. Rao has recently instructed the Christian Legal Centre to advise him and is considering taking legal action for religious discrimination against his former employer.

Okay, two things. First, there are a number of clinical studies which indicate that church attendance does, indeed, have positive health benefits – here is one example: “Keeping the faith: UC Berkeley researcher links weekly church attendance to longer, healthier life”. So his advice had a sound clinical basis. Second, the advice was given on a training course to fictional characters. What kind of training course dismisses those who get the “wrong” answers anyway – was it designed by Endemol?

Posted on Absolvitor: Scots Law Online.