A hospital in Bristol has taken down a series of Union Jacks which were raised to bring "joy and a smile" to patients inside.
Bristol Rises, which bills itself as a grassroots movement to raise the colours and celebrate patriotism, said it had hoisted a number of British flags on lampposts outside Southmead Hospital.
It said that following "kind requests from long-stay patients", volunteers raised four flags to "bring a sense of pride, comfort, and a lift in spirits to those spending time there".
"We think they look absolutely wonderful," it added.
"More importantly, we hope they bring a smile to patients, visitors, and staff alike.
"We also want to take a moment to express our deepest appreciation for the incredible medical teams who work tirelessly every day."
Footage from their social media page showed locals climbing up ladders to tie the banners to lampposts outside the front of the facility.
But Southmead, which took in Princess Anne after her fall in 2024, claimed the flags could feel "unsettling".
Volunteers raised four flags to 'bring a sense of pride, comfort, and a lift in spirits to those spending time there'
|FACEBOOK/BRISTOL RISES
A spokesperson for North Bristol NHS Trust said: “Several flags were installed on lampposts on our Southmead site by members of the public without permission on Wednesday 18 March 2026.
“At NBT we only display flags on our flag poles on recognised occasions and in line with our established protocol. Government guidance is clear that all flags must have the permission of the owner of the site on which they are displayed.
“We recognise that flags and symbols can carry different meanings for different people, and unexpected displays like this can feel unsettling.
“Following concerns raised by staff, patients and members of the public, our staff removed the flags on the day they were installed. It is disappointing that our staff had to deal with the additional workload and cost of dealing with this situation.”
The flags came down just three hours after they were raised.
UNION FLAGS UNDER FIRE - READ MORE:
Hospital staff rushed to pull down the flags just hours after they went up
| PAAt the same trust, 430 patients waited for more than 12 hours to be admitted to an A&E ward in December, the last month on record.
Bristol Rises said staff and patients were left "disappointed" by the flags being taken down.
It said it felt that the banners "represent the NHS".
Reacting to the group's post online, commenters called for volunteers to raise them again.
Commenters online called for volunteers to raise the flags once again
|FACEBOOK/BRISTOL RISES
"The way the trust reacted was embarrassing, acting like terrorist flags were up everywhere," one said.
"Until recently they had a big Union Jack on the flag pole outside the main entrance."
Another, however, claimed the flags were "distressing and intimidating" and had been raised to "bully and make some people feel bad".