[Flymo]

LostBumpkin, on 11 April 2012 - 05:56 PM, said:

Furthermore, it's a pretty friendly community on here. Discussing religion or politics is generally a pretty good way to lose friends and alienate people.

+1
Ben

[The Black Pig]

Foreign doctors who can't speak proper English to be struck off: NHS must check language skills

By James Chapman

PUBLISHED: 00:17, 18 April 2012 | UPDATED: 09:06, 18 April 2012


Minimum standard: Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley will announce the new requirements today

Minimum standard: Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley will announce the new requirements today

Doctors will be struck off if they cannot speak proper English amid fears that patients’ lives are being put at risk, the Health Secretary will say today.

Read more: here

[gohlip]

The Black Pig said:

Foreign doctors who can't speak proper English to be struck off: NHS must check language skills

Heh heh heh. Normally I avoid discussing sensitive issues with guileless people - not that I am saying you're, but on a forum like this, there are other lurkers who might be (how's that for tactfulness? ), though I'd admit I'd like to discuss very sensitive issues with civil, mature and well-informed people.

But here goes....
What about native speakers who speak atrociously, say with a cockney or a Yorkshire accent? Not to mention a Texan drawl or an Aussie twist. If queen's English (last I checked, the queen's origin is foreign) is to be the standard criteria, I'd bet more foreigners would qualify than the natives. And would that make that fair that other countries that employ English speaking foreigners require that they speak English in a fashion that the locals can understand, like with a local slang/slant? Say like requiring a man from Bristol working in Sydney to pronounce "To die" (today) for example?

Blimey, I better sod off now before people here take more piss.

[LostBumpkin]

I knew the article you linked was gonna be expert trollpaper the Daily Mail before I clicked it. Must be a non-news day. The story the article refers to about the Doctor from Germany is unrelated to language skills. He wasn't a GP and was allowed to work as an emergency one. As the article states he prescribed a lethal dose of Morphine. He'd have done the same had he been fluent in as many languages as you like. Of course it's common sense to say if a Doctor, Nurse etc can't speak any English then they shouldn't be allowed to practise in the UK.

I wonder where the 'heroes of journalism' at the Daily Mail stand on people with broad Scottish, Welsh, Newcastle, Liverpudlian etc accents.

[Danceswithcats]

Tara, on 11 April 2012 - 06:13 PM, said:

I will concede the point which Otter is making, that it is not racist, exactly. But it is certainly discriminatory and inflammatory. Tread carefully.

Tara: admirable reply to an uncomfortable OP.

BTW, has anyone mentioned that the 'native' inhabitants of Australia weren't Christian? I write as a person of faith.

For an understanding of the underlying pollution of Australian democracy, and a little bit of a warning about swallowing divisive propaganda unquestioningly, see here.

[Rohit]

I think that OP is emphasizing on issue of cultural/language hijacking.

There should be tolerence towards others. Some Middle east immigrant live in west but hate western culture. ]

As you know , Pakistan was craved out of India for Indian muslim.Now both have almost equal muslim population. Pakistan has almost 98% muslim population. There is much violence towards shias, ahmediyas, sufi believers & other muslim sects besides christians & hindus..

[Toucan]

sudo apt-get install puppet