This does often happen in the health and social care industry so here are a few examples to explain the legislations in a bit more detail.
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For example: The sex discrimination Act 1975: A nurse is giving medication to a patient, but the patient is refusing the medication from the nurse. By now the nurse is getting annoyed with the patient and is now asking why the patient is refusing the medication and the patient replies by saying ‘I do not respect women as I believe men are the stronger sex and women should be our slaves’ by now the nurse is feeling judged and discrimination.
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For example: The race relations NI order 1997/Act 2005: A care worker has brought in a new person in the care home. This person is new and he wants to get to know the people but every time he/she tries to he/she is ignored and pushed to the side by now he/she is wondering what he/she did wrong. Then one person comes up him/her and says ‘we do not tolerate coloured people and we certainly do not want to be friend’s with you.’ By now he/she is feeling depressed and upset about hi/her colour.
Code of practice: This is the same as legislations, rules being made but however these are rules being made by the organisation like bullying rules and etc. There are laws made by the government to help protect patients and clients from any harm. Despite the fact that these are rules made by the workers themselves and what they think would help the work base. Despite the fact that there are two main types of code of practice in the health and social care industry and those are.
- The general social care council (GSCC) / Northern Ireland Social care Code of Practice:
- Nursing Midwifery Council(NMC) Code of practice:
There are different types of codes of practice made in the health and social care industry and the workers need to make sure that these rules are to benefit the patients and clients. Here is an example of how a code of practice can help the way a nurse may work with her patients.
For example: A nurse is going to dress her elderly patient in a residential care home. She is now barking at the elderly lady to get up and now she is bullying her and telling her she is to slow. By now the elderly lady starts to cry and become upset and now the nurse is telling her to shut up and to listen what the nurse has to say.
Charter: This is when a patient or client expects something from a care worker. Like a local GP says that each patient will wait 15 minutes each for their appointment. By saying this, this is what the patients/clients will expect from the local GP. There are different policies made by this and here here are a couple of them:
For example: A patient has come to the doctors and she is pregnant 7 months. Because she is pregnant she sees a sign that says ‘pregnant women can wait 10 minutes limited for their appointment with their doctor.’ She expects to be waiting 10n minutes limited for the doctor. She does not intend on waiting any longer.
Policies: This is when an organisation works with a individual to ensure that this individual is getting the support he/she is required and his/her health is good. Different organisations make different policies to help make sure that each individual is treated with respect and honour. There is a bullying policy and there is also a sexual harassment policy and a lot more to help make sure that each patient is treated with respect and no one is being treated differently.
For example: A patient is in a office making a complaint about the work in the health and social care industry. Whilst picking up his/her medication he had to wait over 20 minutes to pick up his medication. Whilst waiting he told the workers to hurry up, he was getting late for work, but the worker shouted at him and told him to shut up. Now he is speaking to someone. The lady now understands and is making sue that the patient meets his needs and ensures him that she will speak to the workers and something would be done.
