Hotel bosses blame ‘junior workers member’ after terminally sick child ‘refused assist’
A hotel has come under fire after not allowing a baby to use a crucial medical device on its premises. The hotel has claimed a ‘junior staff member’ was responsible for the incident
A luxury hotel has come under fire for refusing to assist a terminally ill baby, with the establishment being slammed for not allowing the three-month-old’s parents to use a crucial medical device on its premises.
The Duck Bay Hotel, perched by the stunning Loch Lomond in Scotland, was hit with outrage after the family of three-month-old Charlie were turned away from using a nebuliser – a device essential for converting medication into breathable mist.
The infant Charlie, who has a tracheostomy, was staying nearby at Robin House Children’s Hospice in Balloch with his parents. Charlie’s parent, from Edinburgh, thought it’d be nice to have some quality family time at the well-known loch-side spot. However, their visit turned sour when they were refused access to a plug socket needed for Charlie’s life-saving equipment.
Following a viral tirade about the incident, the hotel management extended a “very humble apology”. Charlie’s uncle, Bradley Raynham, didn’t hold back as he condemned the hotel, recounting the distressing experience, reports DailyRecord.
He said: “My sister and fiancé are currently residing at Robin House Children’s Hospice as my nephew is receiving end of life care there.
“He is just over 3 months old and every minute of every day with him is a blessing. He breathes through a tracheostomy and occasionally requires a nebuliser, which is essentially vaporised water that acts like steam to clear his airways and aid his breathing.”
Raynham added: “They visited this utterly disappointing place, trying to make each remaining day special for Charlie. When it was time for Charlie’s nebuliser, they asked the hotel reception if they could use a plug socket due to the restaurant being busy.
“While they’re holding him in their arms they were told ‘no we don’t do this here’. Even after explaining the situation they weren’t interested one bit.”
Hotel management of the Duck Bay Hotel issued a public apology to the family, and have claimed the incident involved a “very inexperienced” junior member of staff.
A hotel spokesperson said: “Duck Bay Marina have recently been made aware of an incident which occurred earlier today and would like to profusely apologise for what happened.
“The incident involved a junior member of staff who has recently joined the company, acting without guidance, who entirely misunderstood and misjudged a situation. We are deeply upset at how this incident was handled and we are truly sorry for the upset it has caused.
“It is in absolutely no way a reflection of the values of Duck Bay Marina or our hard working staff, many of whom are devastated by the incident. A full investigation will follow and the necessary remedial action will be taken.
“We have made contact with both Robin House and Charlie’s parents to offer a personal apology and to reassure them that the incident is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with as a matter of urgency.”
