Back to work for the praying nurse

Funny what a bit of publicity can do. Caroline Petrie was suspended from her duties as a bank nurse in Somerset on 17 December after offering to pray for an elderly patient's speedy recovery. Just over a month later the story became public – cue a week of tabloid outrage vs secularists backing the NHS trust's decision, that has now ended with the nurse being approached with a view to going back to work.

This is the what a statement from the North Somerset NHS Trust had to say on the matter:

"We have always been keen to bring this matter to a timely resolution. It has been a distressing and difficult time for Caroline and all staff involved."

So the big question is why has Petrie's suspension been dropped this week? Is it a coincidence that the decision has been reached amid rabid Daily Mail outrage – i.e. after careful consideration they realised it had been unduly harsh to suspend her? Or did the NHS trust lose its resolve in the face of said outrage? I can only hope it's the former, or we'll all be calling each other "golliwogs" in affectionate jest by the end of next week.

Either way, it seems the matter's now closed. Which leaves us with just one ongoing "PC gone mad?" row as the week draws to a close...