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Christian Concern
UK News

Christian nurse fired after offering to pray for patients

Sister Sarah Kuteh was dismissed from her job at Darent Valley hospital in Dartford after breaching hospital guidelines about religious discussion.

The Daily Mail reported that she is now suing the hospital on grounds of unfair dismissal.

Kuteh claims that she believed patients were happy to talk about their religious beliefs with her and that they found it a comfort to do so before going into surgery.

The nurse claims that when she was suspended from the hospital earlier this year she was escorted of the grounds by security.

She told the Daily Mail: "I was walked out of that hospital after all I had done over all my years as a nurse and I was told I couldn't even speak to any of my colleagues.

"All I had done was to nurse from the very bottom of my heart. How could it ever be harmful to tell someone about Jesus?"

Part of her job on the ward was to help patients going into surgery complete a questionnaire. One question asked if the patients held any religious beliefs.

Kuteh acknowledged that she had pursued religious discussions with patients without their consent but said that she had been careful after receiving a warning in April.

The hospital chose to dismiss Kuteh after receiving complaints from three patients who had ticked the box for 'no religion' that she had "preached at them" and said she would pray for them.

In a statement, the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said: "'We have a duty to our patients that when they are at their most vulnerable they are not exposed to unsolicited beliefs and/ or views, religious or otherwise. We feel we have acted appropriately in this case."

Kuteh claims that the disciplinary process was flawed and that the complaints made to her colleagues were made casually. She also claims she was not initially shown the list of complaints.

Kuteh is taking the NHS Trust to an employment tribunal with the backing of the Christian Legal Centre. Chief executive Andrea Williams told the Telegraph: "Sarah is an experienced, hard-working senior nurse facing a grossly disproportionate punishment for no more than expressing her Christian faith in the workplace. But for the question on the pre-op assessment form, these conversations would not have taken place.

"Just one week ago, the Prime Minister in Parliament confirmed that Christians should feel free to talk about their faith in the workplace. Sarah's case demonstrated that the reality can be quite different."

Watch Kuteh speaking about her case to Christian Concern here:

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