A VE Day commemoration display erected by a member of staff has been removed from a ward in the Royal Victoria Hospital and workers have been reminded by management of their "obligation to foster a harmonious environment".
The display, featuring a large union flag, newspaper cuttings, balloons, photos and stickers, suddenly appeared in ward 5E, a unit which cares for the elderly, including patients with dementia.
The VE Day exhibition had been placed on a hospital trolley with some items of memorabilia taped to the wall above it. It was put there by a member of staff acting without clearance from management.
Today’s commemoration of Victory in Europe Day – the 80th anniversary of the Allied triumph over the Nazis – has split along sectarian lines in the city, with traditional unionist and loyalist areas awash with flags, images and sounds while similar celebrations are entirely absent from nationalist and republican districts.
And that split in loyalty was reflected in the North’s biggest hospital as the VE Day display was welcomed by some patients and staff and objected to by others. After a number of complaints management ordered the display to be removed.
REMOVED: Management moved quickly to take down the VE Day display – they've now reminded staff of their obligations to workplace harmony
A spokesperson for the Belfast Trust told us: "Belfast Trust staff became aware of a display in an area of the Royal Victoria Hospital. This was removed and staff are being reminded of their obligation to foster a harmonious environment for all patients, staff and service users."
An RVH worker who spoke to us said: “It was just a bad idea – whoever put it up should have known that it would cause division and tension. I’ve relatives who lost their lives in the war but putting up a union jack that size in a hospital in Belfast is always going to create a problem, regardless of what it’s there for.
“There are countless events taking place across the city and people have been watching the commemorations and celebrations on TV and listening on the radio. But a hospital is a place where people come to visit sick relatives and so there’s a lot of stress and worry. The RVH should avoid anything that’s going to add to that by creating tension and bad feeling.”
