What an Appalling Story!

Keith1 · Sep 26, 2015

I am speechless with rage :furious:

Hospital told RAF sergeant Mark Prendeville to leave in case uniform upset patients | Daily Mail Online

http://www.itv.com/news/2015-09-26/...ing-room-over-fears-uniform-might-call-upset/

MikeP · Sep 26, 2015

WTF!!! Beyond belief! They should lay the red carpet out for these guys. Nothing is too good for them. Anyone who puts themselves in harms way on our behalf is a hero and should be treated as such. They should be laying the red carpet out. If anyone doesn't like it then they can take a long walk off a short pier.
This kind of craven PC crap makes my blood boil.
Regards to all our guys.
Mike

Keith1 · Sep 26, 2015

I have dug out a patient complaint line: [email protected] re: Queen Mothers Hospital Margate.

And sent a quick note:

Your treatment of Mark Prendeville is nothing short of appalling.
These guys serve their country – us, in other words. It’s not for you people to second guess “offence”.

I would also point out that Mark & his comrades defend ALL cultures in the UK regardless of creed or colour.

Keith Hardy..

MikeP · Sep 26, 2015

Ditto.Email sent. I hope everyone does the same.Still fuming!
Cheers
Mike

molleur · Sep 26, 2015

Good on 'ya Keith!
That is despicable and totally uncalled for.

Keith1 · Sep 27, 2015

Bumping this. Still angry :furious:

Al Wohlstrom · Sep 27, 2015

Sent email also. This PC shit is going way to far.

Keith1 · Sep 27, 2015

Thanks Al, I appreciate that....:thumbsup:

Larry L. · Sep 27, 2015

I imagine their email box is filled to overflowing and HAS BEEN since the word got out on this. 'No excuse at ALL for what those clowns did.

"...they didn’t want to upset people’ because they ‘have lots of different cultures coming in’."

...and the members of every ONE of those "cultures" entered the U.K. of their own free will k-n-o-w-i-n-g what-was-what "culturally", didn't they. 'Tis THEY who'd better avoid "upsetting" folks in the host country...NOT the other way 'round.

Keith1 · Sep 27, 2015

Indeed Larry. Your are right on the money...

Nick Brough · Sep 27, 2015

Larry L. said:
I imagine their email box is filled to overflowing and HAS BEEN since the word got out on this. 'No excuse at ALL for what those clowns did.

Larry and guys I think you need to be really careful here especially when calling someone a clown for acting in good faith any trying to protect their colleagues, if you agree with their actions or not.

From the trust

“This employee was acting in good faith as previously there had been an altercation between a member of the public and a different member of the Armed Forces in uniform.

“The Trust is 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.”

I have a daughter who is a nurse in the NHS, a son who is an ambulance technician in the NHS a niece who is a psychiatrist working with deeply disturbed patients, and a nephew who is training to be a paramedic.

You would not believe the abuse and aggression NHS staff have to put up with from patients and relatives, currently averaging 163 assaults a day. The actions of the employee, had nothing to do with political correctness but had to do with their attempting to preempt a possible envisaged incident that would have to be dealt with initially by NHS staff mostly likely nurses, putting them in danger.

Some no doubt would argue they should have waited until an incident happened and not try to preempt it. That's fair enough, but to try to put this down to PC is wrong it was about a colleague trying to protect staff, and if I thought asking someone to move to a less conspicuous area, whatever their position, would remove the possibility of an assault however remote I would do it.

If you want to clog up their mailbox that is your prerogative, but NHS resources are stretched as it is. Finally remember they used the word alleged when quoting the family, somewhat telling I think.

As for the Daily Mail, this was sent to me by a friend who served in the navy, so I think I can post it without being accused of being PC.

Keith1 · Sep 27, 2015

Nick, the story isn't limited to the Daily Mail. ITN, BBC and Reuters are also running it. Not sure what paying/not paying tax has to do with anything either. I am also struggling with the notion that someone who was offended by the sight of a uniform should then routinely attack a member of staff? Does't compute mate. Further, whereas I accept your point that NHS staff can be vulnerable, the inference is clear: when they talk about "cultures" they are referring to what? Mentally disturbed patients? I think not and you don't seem to want to recognise the elephant in the room here..

Quite apart from that, if a serious affront has been made then I do not care if the NHS resources are tied up, if anything they will learn faster. This has taken place whilst commemorations are in progress for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, how the "few" single handedly defeated a rampant enemy dying in their thousands along the way. This was indeed "their finest hour" but not the hospitals by a very long way. Is the supreme irony lost on them?

No doubt there are also 'cultures' who are offended by the sight of a police uniform, so perhaps for the staff's health & safety, Police should cover up or remove their uniforms too, and while they're at it, perhaps we should consider ambulance drivers and firefighters.

If the sight of a uniform of a serving member of Her Majesties armed forces upset 'cultures' that much, then I suggest they should perhaps reconsider their presence in this country. By pandering to this sense of entitlement of offence , you are encouraging potential random attacks on services personnel.

Not far from here is Oddstock Hospital Salisbury. Being close to Salisbury Plain, the country's largest armed forces exercise area, injuries to personnel are numerous. There are people from all services in and out of A&E in uniform. There are also many diverse cultures living in and around Salisbury and not once have there been any issues concerning military personnel in uniform.

How can one, probably isolated incident lead to a policy decision that makes a serving soldier feel like a pariah?

This IS political correctness gone nuts and it needs to be stopped. If it jams up one patient complaint email address (for that's what it is - the correct place to complain on behalf of someone else) then so be it, but as an ex member of HM armed forces, I am completely incensed by the injustice of it and somewhat afraid that I am beginning to feel like a stranger in a strange land..

Nick Brough · Sep 27, 2015

Keith1 said:
Nick, the story isn't limited to the Daily Mail. ITN, BBC and Reuters are also running it. Not sure what paying/not paying tax has to do with anything either. I am also struggling with the notion that someone who was offended by the sight of a uniform should then routinely attack a member of staff? Does't compute mate. Further, whereas I accept your point that NHS staff can be vulnerable, the inference is clear: when they talk about "cultures" they are referring to what? Mentally disturbed patients? I think not and you don't seem to want to recognise the elephant in the room here..

Quite apart from that, if a serious affront has been made then I do not care if the NHS resources are tied up, if anything they will learn faster. This has taken place whilst commemorations are in progress for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, how the "few" single handedly defeated a rampant enemy dying in their thousands along the way. This was indeed "their finest hour" but not the hospitals by a very long way. Is the supreme irony lost on them?

No doubt there are also 'cultures' who are offended by the sight of a police uniform, so perhaps for the staff's health & safety, Police should cover up or remove their uniforms too, and while they're at it, perhaps we should consider ambulance drivers and firefighters.

If the sight of a uniform of a serving member of Her Majesties armed forces upset 'cultures' that much, then I suggest they should perhaps reconsider their presence in this country. By pandering to this sense of entitlement of offence , you are encouraging potential random attacks on services personnel.

Not far from here is Oddstock Hospital Salisbury. Being close to Salisbury Plain, the country's largest armed forces exercise area, injuries to personnel are numerous. There are people from all services in and out of A&E in uniform. There are also many diverse cultures living in and around Salisbury and not once have there been any issues concerning military personnel in uniform.

How can one, probably isolated incident lead to a policy decision that makes a serving soldier feel like a pariah?

This IS political correctness gone nuts and it needs to be stopped. If it jams up one patient complaint email address (for that's what it is - the correct place to complain on behalf of someone else) then so be it, but as an ex member of HM armed forces, I am completely incensed by the injustice of it and somewhat afraid that I am beginning to feel like a stranger in a strange land..

Keith,

I accept some of your arguments, and apologise for any offense caused to anyone.

Due to an unrelated incident today involving a member of the NHS who always seem to get the blame when acting in good faith, I to was angry and afraid, maybe the lesson for me is I should not post when angry, or better still perhaps not post at all.

Larry L. · Sep 27, 2015

I stand by what I said, Nick.

Nick Brough said:
“The Trust is 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.”

...and yet this soldier WAS, wasn't he.

"...they didn't want to upset people" as they "have lots of different cultures coming in."

'...upset other P-E-O-P-L-E/C-U-L-T-U-R-E-S.' 'No reference to protecting their staff. They didn't want to 'offend' those who belonged to other "cultures", plain and simple. They made that very clear. That is a "p.c.-based" decision in my view.

Nick Brough said:
You would not believe the abuse and aggression NHS staff have to put up with from patients and relatives, currently averaging 163 assaults a day.

'Sounds like there isn't much 'segregation' going on when a soldier isn't involved, huh. The soldier was there for treatment. HE wasn't there to 'start something'...and yet the staff immediately wanted to separate HIM from the rest of the patients in case one of THEM got "upset" and wanted to 'start something' with him because of his uniform or whatever.

Do you 'see' the difference?

The staff was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of line IMHO.

Unless there's a darned good reason to do otherwise, respect/consideration for a person wearing the uniform of one the branches of his nation's armed forces comes first in a situation like this.

'Off my soapbox now...

Nick Brough · Sep 27, 2015

Larry,

Assuming it was a pc based decision, by member one female member of staff who also appears to have mistaken Sgt Prendeville's warm response to being asked to move from the hospital's main waiting area into a different part of the accident and emergency department as an indication he was happy with the request.

The Hospital as well as apologising to the sergeant, two days ago, briefed all their staff to make the point 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.

Larry L. · Sep 27, 2015

Well, let's just hope they all learned something in the end, Nick.

:chug:

Nick Brough · Sep 28, 2015

Larry L. said:
Well, let's just hope they all learned something in the end, Nick.

:chug:

Oh God that means I have to agree with you. Should have kept my mouth shut :chug:

MikeP · Sep 28, 2015

No Nick, speak away. We have free speech which we must defend. Only by speaking and voicing opinions and making points of view heard do we find our way to the truth of things and hopefully make the world a better place.
Non of us are perfect and all knowing. I am living proof of this!
Cheers
Mike

PS. Back from Barcelona tomorrow.

Keith1 · Sep 28, 2015

MikeP said:
No Nick, speak away. We have free speech which we must defend. Only by speaking and voicing opinions and making points of view heard do we find our way to the truth of things and hopefully make the world a better place.
Non of us are perfect and all knowing. I am living proof of this!
Cheers
Mike

PS. Back from Barcelona tomorrow.

Well said Mike, the thun in Barthelona ith obviouthly good for you.. Hola..

But you're right, I had my application for Beatification rejected just last week..

Nick, keep on keeping on mate...

Larry L. · Sep 28, 2015

Nick Brough said:
Oh God that means I have to agree with you. :chug:

'Twas inevitable you'd come around, sir!

:2thumbsup:

What an Appalling Story!

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