ABSTRACT
Health services treat older and sicker patients who often present with significant co-morbidities requiring more and more difficult decisions as to health care priorities. Increasing economic pressure on health systems often leads to overloaded health care environments. Patient safety is, thus, associated with stopping errors and preventing negative effects to patients. It is important to recognise that keeping patients safe involves lots of jigsaw pieces such as the actions of the doctors, the hospital protocols and guidance from regulatory bodies. Traditionally Jewish and Muslim parents wish for their children to be circumcised. However, the NHS does not routinely offer circumcision for non-medical reasons. Patient safety is a worldwide/global issue and, indeed, religion and its manifestation is also apparent at every corner of the world. The broadening of the definition of patient safety comes from a philosophical base where value is given to the right of patients to act in accordance with their beliefs.
