‘Forced to eat lunch on stairs at the hospital’

MUM SHOCKED AT TREATMENT OF HER AND AUTISTIC SON

A MOTHER has criticised staff at a hospital canteen after she and her autistic son were forced to eat in a stairwell.

Sheryl Norman and son Coby said staff told them to leave the Leicester Royal Infirmary canteen because Coby was not eating in-house food.

The incident happened on Wednesday after Sheryl, from Thornton, had visited the hospital for a series of appointments for her son.

Five-year-old Coby, who has autism, struggles to eat new and different foods, sticking to a selection of hand-made lunches Sheryl knows he will eat.

In between appointments and keeping to a routine for Coby’s benefit, the pair ventured to the hospital’s canteen, where Coby started to eat his lunch.

However, they were approached by a member of staff who told them to leave as Coby was not eating inhouse food.

“I explained the situation a few times and didn’t think it would be an issue,” Sheryl said.

“I even offered to buy some food myself so that I was eating hospital food while Coby wasn’t, but they didn’t want to know.”

After asking if there was somewhere else suitable to eat, Sheryl was told there was not and she and Coby were left to find a place for themselves. They resorted to eating in a stairwell.

“I was just so embarrassed and made to feel ashamed because of this. It was truly bizarre what happened and it’s not what I’d expect to come from a hospital at all,” Sheryl said.

“I saw several people staring at us and some were shaking their heads, so I don’t think they agreed with what was happening, but I didn’t want to cause a scene and make Coby even more upset.

“He just kept asking ‘where are we going?’ and ‘why have we got to move?.’”

“We’ve not had this issue before, not here, not in restaurants. Everyone is normally so understanding, so I’m just shocked by what happened here,” she said.

“If there are no covered areas for people to eat their food elsewhere in the hospital, I just have to ask where are people supposed to eat?

“If Coby can’t eat in the canteen, then where are we supposed to go?”

Janet Coverdale, head of facilities at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “We take patient feedback very seriously and are sorry to hear about the Norman family’s experience.

“We want to ensure all of our patients have positive experiences and as visiting restrictions ease across our hospitals, we are reviewing how the public can access restaurant and refreshment facilities.” ■ What do you think? Email: