Extended use of facemasks and face coverings guidance in hospitals, primary care and wider community healthcare settings (referred to as 'Healthcare settings'): Equality Impact Assessment

Religion or Belief

1. Background

Analysis of data from England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)^[78] indicated that the risk of death involving COVID-19 early in the pandemic varied across religious groups, with those identifying as Muslims, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh showing a higher rate of death than other groups. However, for the most part the elevated risk of certain religious groups was explained by geographical, socio-economic and demographic factors and increased risks associated with ethnicity.

2. Evidence / Date – Related to Healthcare Settings

Population wide data from the census^[79] shows that 7% of people did not state their religion and 36.7% of people (1,941,116) said they had no religion.

Church of Scotland, 1,717,871, Roman Catholic, 841,053, Other Christian, 291,275, Muslim, 76,737, Hindu, 16,379, Buddhist, 12,795 Sikh, 9,055 Jewish, 5,997 and other religion was 15,196

Patients in Healthcare settings

Figure 10. A graph showing the self-reported religion, religious denomination or body by respondents to a health survey sent out to those registered to a GP. The graph shows that from 130,352 people who responded: 42% of people responded as not following a religion; 32% as Church of Scotland; 14% as Roman Catholic; 8% Other Christian; 1% Muslim; and 1% as Other Religion. It is important to acknowledge only 24% of those sent the survey replied, it does however give a rough insight into patients/ service users in Scotland.

Healthcare Staff

According to NHS staff respondents to iMatter 2022^[81], when asked ‘What religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to?’, 52% responded as no religion, Church of Scotland 20%, Roman Catholic 14%, Other Christian 4%, Muslim 1%, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish and Pagan was less than 1%, another religion or body was 1% and no answer given was 7%.

Visitors to healthcare settings:

There is a lack of data on visitors to healthcare settings. Population wide data (noted above) has been used to support this equality impact assessment.

3. Impact Summary – Healthcare Settings

Does the withdrawal of the extended use of facemask guidance in healthcare settings have a positive or negative impact on people as result of their religion or faith?

There is no evidence to suggest that individuals are adversely affected by this policy as a result of their religion or faith.

It is important to emphasise that the use of face masks will still be in place in healthcare settings if they are required clinically or as a result of outbreak/ incident management.