In the name of God the most gracious, the most merciful, and peace be upon our prophet Muhammad, the seal of the prophets and messengers.

Health policies of the Islamic Party depend heavily on the principles of prevention, justice and fairness in the availability of health care from the point of delivery of the primary care and at all levels of secondary and tertiary care. Giving special care emphasis on areas of health research and community care, particularly to the elderly, mentally ill and disabled. Improving the working conditions for the employees of the National Health Service and allowing the possibilities for voluntary work and the private sector to develop according to the needs of society.

Prevention

"Prevention is better than cure", is a well known Islamic saying. Prevention starts from the early years of education - giving the basic principles of personal, physical and spiritual cleanliness in health education at schools at an early age and other means of media communications.

The community as a whole also has a responsibility to prevention - from strict food safety cheeks, strict checks on food irradation, control of industrial and nuclear environmental pollution, water safety, control of drug addiction by treating the addicts in specialised centres and controlling the drug smuggling at source. Prohibition of alcohol drinking and smoking would be encouraged, although a total ban will not be asked for now. The Islamic Party appreciates the nature of this society and accepts that people have different attitudes to smoking and alcohol although drinking and driving would be restricted further with tighter controls.

Immunisation

Vaccination would be encouraged where serious illness can be prevented. Immunisation programmes should not depend on commercial implications. Serum based on halal sources should be made available when required, to encourage immunisation.

Cervical Smears

While proposing to launch a national campaign to inform women about the need for regular smears, and aiming to improve the smear uptake by all possible means, we strongly believe that by adopting the Islamic preventive methods in dealing with sexuality will, in time, reduce the incidence of cervical pre-cancerous conditions along with invasive cervical cancer. Sexual activity is considered with an eye on prevention in Islam. Preservation of the structure of society through the maintenance of the family unit is of paramount importance. Islam prohibits extra-marital sexual activity and considers it one of the sins and sources of shame. When this attitude is promoted the incidence of all sexually transmitted diseases would be reduced dramatically.

Cervical cancer and AIDS

Circumcision should be allowed without charge within the NHS as a means of prevention of cervical cancer and pre-cancer as well as AIDS, as it is now proven beyond any doubt that circumcised men are less likely to be infected with AIDS when exposed to infection and are also less likely to pass on infection to the agents possibly implicated in pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix.

Healthy attitudes to family relationships should be encouraged and the younger children and elderly members of the community would be looked at with greater respect, an attitude which is needed now as this may reduce the dependency of the elderly on state resources. This would reduce the pressure on Community Geriatric Services.

National Health Services (NHS)

With the increased demand on resources allocated for health care, the NHS is under increasing pressures which are threatening the basis of its foundation. The Islamic Party feels that NHS is an excellent example of an "Islamic" institution where people in society care for each other, funded by contributions made equally, and the use of the accumulated resources will only depend on the need rather than the wealth, social status or influence. NHS delivers a high standard of medical care for relatively low cost compared with other Western nations.

The Islamic Party would advise the increase of resources to the NHS to be allocated broadly to the following areas:

1. Increase the number of consultant posts in specified areas and certain specialities to reduce the patient waiting lists.

2. Improve the working conditions and pay for nurses to make nursing an attractive career.

3. General practitioners are the front line for the NHS, and the type of service they provide requires constant self motivation. The independent contractor status should be maintained to enhance this self motivation.

4. Improve the standard and status of managers within the service to enable recruitment of suitably qualified and dedicated people.

5. Community care requires more organisation in the distribution of resources which should be uniform throughout the country and not regionally biased.

6. Research:

There are no taboos in Islam, all topics should be studied thoroughly, with the provisions of adequate resources. The Islamic Party deplores recent plans by the government to privatise the NHS. This it feels is a betrayal of the humanitarian principles upon which the NHS was founded. The generation which made the NHS possible would be the most affected if these plans come to fruition.

The Private Sector

There is scope for the private sector to develop within Islam, provided that it is based upon the principles of justice, fairness and mutual respect.

Health Education

Caring for health is basically the responsibility of the individual, based upon the principles of prevention, including attitudes to sexuality, dietary practice and emphasising naturally produced foods such as honey which serves both health and environmental purposes. All these principles could he incorporated in the educational system. If the health principles of Islam were incorporated into the fabric of the British way of life the benefits to that society would be measured in the reduction of crippling and debilitating diseases such as coronary heart disease. By following the Islamic Dietary Code, the prohibition of smoking and drinking alcohol, and preventing sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, cervical cancer, and related conditions, there would be a corresponding reduction in psychiatric illness and drug dependence.

Islam presents a comprehensive and convincing explanation to the creation of the universe, life and death, and has a clear of conduct regarding the relationship between individuals in society as well as giving the individual the ultimate peace of mind and self confidence, freeing him from the bonds of slavery to wealth or fellow human beings.

The most basic principle of Islam is respect of human life, irrespective of its origin, creed, colour, social status or belief.