Review – Disability equality in the medical profession, 2007. London: British Medical Association.

This well-researched and insightful report, from the British Medical Association, essentially the Trade Union of the medical profession, carefully considers the definition of disability under the social model and proceeds to apply this to medical staff who have, or acquire, an impairment through their working lives.

The report discusses barriers currently experienced from promotion of medical careers to disabled people, selection criteria for medical school and enabling and retaining practicing disabled doctors, all supported by sensible and straightforward examples of best practice in a series of case studies. In the foreword of this report, Sir Bert Massie, Chair of the Disability Rights Commission, comments:

“This report gives a powerful insight into the cultural challenges faced by healthcare service employees with impairments…It demonstrates how issues can be addressed by tackling traditional fears, attitudes and myths…

By welcoming more disabled medical students, and by retaining more disabled doctors in employment, the profession will improve its outward facing service and better reflect modern society”

A copy of this report can either be ordered in hard copy or downloaded in PDF format by clicking on the following link:

http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/disabilityequalitymedicalprofession