Ex-magistrate suspended by NHS
A former magistrate has been suspended by the NHS just weeks after he was struck off by the Lord Chancellor for comments about gay adoption.
Headcorn JP Richard Page, 69, has been told he cannot return to the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership (KMPT) board until an investigation into his remarks made during deliberation and in subsequent media interviews. The father of three, who has worked in the field of mental health for 20 years and as a magistrate in Maidstone and Sevenoaks for 15, was sacked by the Lord Chancellor, Michael Gove, three weeks ago.
The devout Christian initially made comments about the suitability of same-sex parents during a family court case in 2014.
He went on to reiterate his belief that there was not enough research on the impact having gay parents has on children. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) removed Mr Page from the magistracy after finding his views “prejudicial”.
Mr Page, of Grigg Lane, says he will take that case to an employment tribunal. The Christian Legal Centre has appointed leading human rights barrister Paul Diamond to act on his behalf.
Now, he has been suspended by the NHS after Andrew Ling, chairman of KMPT, wrote to the NHS Trust Development Authority. Mr Ling claims Mr Page’s comments and continuance as a KMPT member would have a major impact on “the perception of living the trust values”.
Mr Page said the move further shows how Christians have been pushed out of the public square.
He said: “The trust says in its letter that it is committed to ‘challenge discrimination and treat everyone fairly and impartially’ – all evidence to the contrary. What about treating my views, held by billions of Christians around the world, equally and fairly?”