Muslim NHS dentist imposed Islamic dress code on patients

Lancashire, July 2 (ANI): In a shocking revelation a Muslim NHS dentist in Lancashire refused to treat his Muslim female patients unless they wore headscarves, and while the men had to take off their gold jewellery.

The General Dental Council ruled that Omer Butt had imposed a dress code on Muslim patients for more than two years at his Unsworth Smile Clinic in Bury, Lancashire, the Daily Star reports.

Chairman Gill Brown told the dentist: "It is clear you were using your position as a dentist to seek to influence patients as to non-clinical issues."

"The committee is satisfied from all the evidence that your attitude went beyond merely seeking to persuade, request or advise Muslim patients and that you sought to impose the dress code upon them." The panel will decide today on what disciplinary action they will take and could strike him off," she added.

According to reports, Dr. Butt even kept a box of hijabs at his practice to dish out, and was also found to have had confrontations with two patients.

Earlier, Butt had received a warning from the General Dental Council for the same offence, but continued to enforce his religious dress code.

Butt had a sign on his waiting room wall informing Muslim patients to adhere to his code.t was during a visit by NHS managers in April 2005, that he was ordered to discard the guidelines or face a misconduct hearing.

Following the incident, Butt had removed the sign but persisted with the dress code. (ANI)