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. A member of staff moved him so other patients could not see the 38-year-old. A previous "altercation" involving a man in uniform led to the sergeant 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. Sgt Prendeville was asked to move from the hospital's main waiting area into a different part of the accident and emergency department by a female member of staff, out of the view of the public. The hospital told the BBC he responded warmly to this proposal. 'Didn't make a fuss' But Sgt Prendeville's father, Jim Prendeville, told BBC Radio 5 live the treatment of his son was "shameful". "To say I was incensed would put it mildly. "He's a very quiet man he didn't want to make a lot of fuss. "He was more upset by the way he was treated because of his uniform, than he was about the burns in his eyes," he said. Sgt Prendeville has served in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq, and he was wearing his combat uniform when he arrived at the hospital. 'Good faith' 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. This is disgusting treatment of our heroes. ****ing disgusting. The staff who made this decision should be named and shamed.
"previously, there had been an altercation between a member of the public and a different member of the armed forces in uniform." That`s where it went wrong. The member of the public who was objecting should have been thrown out, whoever it was.
There should be no shame or embarrassment for wearing a uniform in this country, [edit] and no one has the right to abuse anyone in one. As pops said, the other guy should've been thrown out! We need to stick up for this who stand up for us!
I agree totally. No dispute. Now think about what i wrote and the reality of todays britian. I stand by what i said. Maybe it was for the best.
I agree entirely with grandpops. The staff member was acting on previous evidence concerning aggression on a previous occasion and, to me, he/she did what seemed best. I don't see how medical staff can evict the aggressor without treatment either - their ethics demand it - but I do think they should be treated and a police officer called to take charge of him. Give him the necessary treatment, then take him down the cop shop. If I was the judge, I'd ask the British public to pay for a nice relaxing weekend away to calm the poor misguided man down a bit. He may choose either Aldershot, York, or Catterick. See you Sunday morning, asshole!
We dont live in an idral world. Quite suprised at the naievity of some posts above. Reality wake up call. They could not stop two radgy goat herders trying to lob of Lee Rigbys head in the streets of london outside an army barracks with no uniform on. Now its wrong to move a bloke in uniform away from said radgy goat herders i.ll lob ya ****ing heed off on cctv and have it posted on the eeb. Alland snackbar. Welcome to reality.
A better soloution would be to give members of our armed forces preferential treatment, its the least they deserve. I am sure the majority would support this, and just to make it clear I have never been in the armed forces and never had the wish to join, but I wholeheartedly support all those who do.
this just sums up this country and people in authority ,we best move the lad that has been protecting us, just in case some one comes in and abuses him, because if the R A F lad retaliates we will have to HAVE the English lad arrested
It's things like this that alienate me to my own country. Why can't we be like Israel & Japan & do what's best for our own people? **** the Syrians, I don't give a monkey's **** about them. The ****s wont go back once Syria is sorted out anyway.
We have to be careful not to offend the 600,000 immigrants in our country !, god knows where they are from though, I will wear what I like and stuff the lot of them.
There are numerous nationalities and religions in our country, how we are expected to pander to all of their various feelings and wishes I do not know. And why should we when they won't give a toss about ours. These migrants currently queueing up , when interviewed, talk about how fantastic they think Britain is, it's freedom and safety and opportunity. and how they yearn to be part of it. Well upon acceptance, or entry, as part of an induction they should be reminded that it is people in uniform that over the years have fought to give us a country in which the population have been free and safe to build this society which the migrants now deem suitable for themselves. If uniforms are a problem, turn around now, or if you later cause trouble over the issue accept that you will be thrown out.
Anyway, when mr Corbin gets in power he'll sort it out..........there won't be any armed forces, problem solved Bloody funny on an interview yesterday. He wants peace, reconciliation and understanding between all parties in Syria(good luck with that) as he does not believe in war......but he'll FIGHT the Tories, liberals and anyone else right of Stalin, tooth and nail and would probably rather put his bollocks in a vice than negotiate with Cameron. Hypocritical Lunatic. I hope Sgt Prendervile is recovering well, our Armed Forces needs to know that they have the support of the Country and episodes like this undermines their morale and, I think, the morale of the Country; certainly very depressing
Modern Modern Britain, when you hear about this doesn't it just make you sick. What a way to treat the countries service people.
Corbyn will never be Prime Minister, 'cos Labour will have absolutely no chance of winning an election with him in charge I certainly wouldn't vote for a tramp to be P.M. . . . . and that's what he looks like . . . . like he doesn't give a toss about his appearance (and it doesn't even matter what his policies are)
I heard some pacifist idiot on the radio last week telling us we need to talk to ISIS. That that's the only way we'll get peace. That's where we went wrong with Hitler. How could we have been so blind? We should have talked to him. And talked. And talked. While he was invading The Sudatenland. Talk. Austria. Talk. Then Poland. Yeh, keep talking. Belgium, France, Denmark. Yep, keep talking. Corbyn and that pacifist idiot are both right. We don't need an army. Or a Navy or Air Force . They're SO expensive! All we have to do is talk to our enemies and those who'd change our way of life. And everything will be fine.
He should go over and take them all down the pub for a couple of pints and a game of darts.Happy bunnys. Open a few working mens clubs.Actually, no point, as all the working men are on their way to us to work apparently
I'm sure he'll be the first to volunteer and go over there for an informal chat! Just parachute him in with a list of our demands, I'm sure his mission would be successful and he'd return a hero after putting a stop to all the naughty little shenanigans going on over there at the mo.
