ethnicity online::good practice guidelines:making assumptions

As a manager, try to understand and accommodate any specific needs that your staff might have – such as specialised food, time off for religious holidays or an unwillingness to treat members of the opposite gender.
As a colleague, try to support your co-workers and appreciate that they may work in a different way to you.
As a member of the healthcare team and an ethnic group, think hard how your background is affecting how you see illness, healthcare and, especially, patients.
As a patient and a member of an ethnic group, let your healthcare team know if they are not fulfilling your needs and be prepared to discuss your care with them.
Dress, skin colour, language and other factors can cause medical staff to make assumptions about a patient – even without recognising that they have done so. Be aware of your own preconceptions.
If in any doubt about anything, always ask. It is better to risk offence in the pursuit of understanding than to offend through ignorance.
Talk to the patient, their friends and family, community leaders or the local hospital chaplain for more information and advice.

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