Hospital staff 'disciplined' over missing Andrew plaque

Staff astatine a Belfast infirmary were disciplined aft a plaque marking its ceremonial opening by the Duke of York went missing, according to emails seen by the BBC.

The plaque sparked an probe by wellness officials aft it was removed without support from Belfast City Hospital successful January 2022.

It came aft Prince Andrew faced civilian enactment successful the US implicit intersexual battle allegations - claims helium has denied.

The Belfast Trust said the plaque has since been recovered, unit "behaviours" were addressed "in accordance with spot disciplinary procedures," and nary determination has been made connected reinstating the plaque.

Prince Andrew officially opened the Belfast City Hospital operation successful June 1986, and a plaque marking the juncture was placed adjacent the beforehand entrance.

It went missing aft the Duke of York was sued by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged helium sexually assaulted her successful 2001 erstwhile she was 17.

The lawsuit was settled retired of court without Prince Andrew accepting liability, but helium agreed to wage an unspecified magnitude to Ms Giuffre and to her foundation for victims' rights.

Amid the controversy, his subject titles and royal patronages were returned to the precocious Elizabeth II.

At the time, the Belfast Trust said the plaque was removed "without direction" and it had launched an probe "into its whereabouts".

According to emails obtained by BBC News NI, the spot carried retired a "significant lawsuit audit" connected the removal of the plaque, which lasted respective months.

The incidental was investigated by autarkic consultants appointed by officials, according to an email from a elder unit subordinate successful December 2023.

That unit subordinate said it led to "action taken to code unit behaviours successful accordance with spot disciplinary procedures".

In different email, helium said it had been claimed the plaque had been removed "out of sensitivities arising from allegations circulating connected nationalist media astatine the time".

The spot had received a ailment successful January 2022 saying the plaque was "causing offence" and asking for it to beryllium removed, according to the emails.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) wellness spokesperson Colin McGrath described the thought of unit being disciplined implicit the substance arsenic "outrageous".

The Stormont assembly subordinate said that "if anything, they've done the spot a favour by removing the reference".

"Either backmost your unit oregon backmost a commemorative show for Prince Andrew. I cognize which broadside I would beryllium on," helium added.

People Before Profit (PBP) assembly subordinate Gerry Carroll said the infirmary should not person a plaque bearing Prince Andrew's name.

"I person nary uncertainty that workers and the wide nationalist would beryllium aghast to find retired that this existed.

"Workers successful the infirmary shouldn’t beryllium reprimanded for stating their absorption to this."

In a statement, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said nary determination had been made connected reinstating the plaque astatine the metropolis hospital.

"A thorough probe was carried retired by Belfast Trust, and enactment was taken to code unit behaviours successful accordance with spot disciplinary procedures," a spokesperson said.

"A determination has not yet been made regarding the plaque, and it remains successful storage."

Details of the plaque's disappearance person emerged up of the latest TV play bid astir Prince Andrew's headline-making interrogation with writer Emily Maitlis for BBC Newsnight.

The 2019 interview, widely viewed arsenic a "car crash," saw the Duke of York speech candidly astir his relationship with convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The three-part Amazon Prime series A Very Royal Scandal comes conscionable months aft a rival dramatisation of the Newsnight interview, Scoop, was released connected Netflix.

In the weeks aft the plaque went missing, immoderate Northern Ireland governmental parties had called for the Union emblem not to beryllium flown astatine Belfast City Hall to people Prince Andrew's birthday.

Councillors aboriginal agreed to the move, alternatively deciding it should beryllium flown connected 1 July to people the day of the Battle of the Somme.