“Box-ticking” health chiefs have been slammed over forms asking all job applicants bizarre questions about their childhood – including if they had free school meals. Among the sections of the form, shared with the Sunday Express by someone seeking a NHS job, is the question: “Were you eligible for free school meals at any time?”
Applicants are advised, “The information collected will be confidential and used for statistical purposes only. The employer will not use it to identify you.” Other questions include, “What was the occupation of the main earner in your household when you were 14?”
Darwin Friend, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “While patients are stuck on waiting lists for months, NHS bosses are more concerned about box-ticking than hiring staff and treating patients.
The Department of Health declined to comment, but a NHS spokesperson said: “Applicants aren’t obliged to share any information they don’t want to, and responses will not be used for screening applicants.”