A sign that branded Indian food as ‘smelly’ that was displayed at York Hospital has been removed after it caused widespread offence.
The sign was put up in the library at York Hospital.
It said: “Food and Drink Policy: Hot and cold drinks are allowed in the library. Please do not bring any food into the library space. Especially not samosas, pakoras or filled chapatis as they are very smelly.”
GP @Megsenmumdr called it out on X, saying: “Found in a NHS Hospital Library in February 2024. What is the need for the last sentence? Specifically mentioning Indian food?”
The post has had 4.5 million views and provoked a huge number of comments.
One wrote: “This is micro aggression racism!” Another said: “Could have said ‘especially not strong smelling foods like garlic, spice, melted cheese, overcooked veges and fish’.
“But ‘no food’ is enough to make it clear.”
The post on X was drawn to the attention of directors at the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who quickly took action.
The trust issued this statement: “We are truly sorry for any distress or upset that has been caused by the sign that was put up in our library at York Hospital.
“As soon as we were made aware of it, it was removed. It was absolutely not in line with the values and behaviours of our organisation.
“We are proud to have a diverse workforce and are committed to ensuring the experience of all our staff is positive and inclusive.
“We continue to educate our staff to support them in understanding the implications of actions they may take both positively and negatively.”