In light of the current UK riots, the dental profession needs to stand strong and in solidarity – regardless of race, ethnicity or faith, says the Diversity in Dentistry Action Group (DDAG).
Over the last week, the UK has witnessed the spread of disorder and criminality following a number of far-right and anti-immigration rallies.
Violence has erupted in a number of towns following the murder of three children in Southport. More than 400 arrests have been made so far, with 120 people charged, as rioters loot shops and attack hotels housing asylum seekers.
The DDAG has spoken out to condemn the attacks, calling for the dental profession to show support for colleagues and demonstrate equality, compassion and respect.
The statement reads: ‘The Diversity in Dentistry Action Group (DDAG) was established in 2020 to promote equality, equity and inclusivity within the dental profession. As the strategic oversight group of the DDAG, we are watching in horror at the scenes of unrest and violence across parts of the country, fuelled by racism and islamophobia. DDAG understands the personal impact these events will have on our workforce and communities.
‘We are committed to advocating for and calling out discrimination, prejudice and bias. We do not work in a societal vacuum and recognise that these are challenging political times.
‘We welcome fair and open discussions – however these conversations should not be an open invitation for voicing hate speech, spreading misinformation on social media or in professional environments. We would hope across our profession, professional standards are adhered to and we continue to display our values of equality, compassion and respect.
Impact of UK riots
‘As a profession we hope the workforce is reassured that we need not tolerate racism, discrimination or abuse whether from colleagues, patients or wider community groups.
‘We call on all dental organisations to provide emotional support, protection against racism for all within the clinical environment. We call on our various prestigious institutions to stand by and protect our students; for prominent dental societies to provide support via networks for their members who need somebody to talk to if they have been impacted; and for the stalwart high street practices to have internal conversations with their teams to reassure them and have a complete zero tolerance approach to behaviours that promote any divisive “othering” or cause offence.
‘Lastly, we call for the profession to stand strong and in solidarity with each other regardless of race, ethnicity or faith and continue to provide oral health care for our patients during this challenging time with the kindness, respect and dignity we always have done.’
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
