Hospital apologises after moving RAF man because of uniform

A hospital has apologised after an RAF sergeant was moved away from other patients because staff said his uniform might cause offence.

Sgt Mark Prendeville was taken to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, after an accident during a training exercise.


Staff moved him so other patients could not see him, the Sun reported.


A previous "altercation" involving a man in uniform led to the 38-year-old being moved, the hospital said.


The aircraft engineer needed medical attention after chemicals from a fire extinguisher got into his eyes while training at RAF Manston, Kent, on Wednesday.


He was moved twice while in the accident and emergency department so others could not see him, his family said.
'Absolutely dumbfounded'


Sgt Prendeville's father, Jim Prendeville, said he was "disgusted" by the way his son had been treated: "He's served all over the world, he's been to Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq you name it, he's been there.


"He's a very quiet lad, he wouldn't kick up a fuss, but afterwards he was absolutely dumbfounded by the way he was treated because he was in uniform."


Mr Prendeville said he had phoned the hospital to complain.


A spokesman for East Kent University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: 

"A member of the armed forces in uniform attended our A&E and was asked by a member of staff if he wanted to sit inside the department rather than the waiting room.


"This employee was acting in good faith because previously, there had been an altercation between a member of the public and a different member of the armed forces in uniform."


The spokesman also said the hospital trust was "absolutely clear that members of Her Majesty's armed forces, whether in uniform or not, should not be treated any differently to any other person".


"We are now making this point clear to all our members of staff and will seek to make sure that this never happens again," he added.


SOURCE  BBC