Healthcare provider ordered to compensate woman over racial discrimination

A well-known private healthcare provider has been ordered to pay combined compensation of €12,000 to an elderly Pakistani woman and her daughter who were racially discriminated against during a visit to a clinic for MRI scans.

The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that Affidea Diagnostics Ireland Limited discriminated against Mehr un Nisa (75) and her daughter, Shereen Gul – who is a GP – during a visit to the company’s clinic in Dundrum on November 4th, 2023, in breach of the Equal Status Act 2000 on grounds of race.

Lawyers for Affidea had rejected claims that it had discriminated against the two women and claimed Dr Gul was “ready to be insulted” following a previous incident a month earlier at the clinic when they claimed the GP was abusive to staff over a disputed booking appointment.

The WRC heard claims that Nisa had her name questioned by staff while her daughter was prevented from helping her mother in a changing room while she was going for several...