Christian health worker offered new job after pro-life leaflet row

Christian health worker offered new job after pro-life leaflet row

A Christian health worker has been offered a new job by the NHS trust that suspended her for distributing a pro-life leaflet.

The move has been hailed as a "victory for freedom of conscience and speech" by Christian campaigners.

Margaret Forrester claimed she was suspended after she handed a pro-life leaflet to a family planning worker because she felt NHS publications don't offer enough information about the risks of abortion.

Soon after this she was suspended, and had to attend a disciplinary hearing for "distributing materials some people might find offensive".

When she was told she could return to work, she was not allowed to see any patients and was given other duties, which she called "bullying and offensive".

Ms Forrester claims she was "treated like a criminal" for expressing her religious beliefs.

"It was incredible that I was suspended in the first place, just because I expressed a personal opinion," she said.

"I should be able to express my opinion privately without fear and act freely in good conscience.

"Today is a victory for freedom of speech. I want to thank all of those who have prayed for me and supported me."

Religious views about abortions have also been in the spotlight recently after a recent case which brought Catholic anti-abortion views in front of the European Court of Human Rights led pro-life groups to warn against changes to Ireland's abortion laws.

Posted by Amanda Hopkins