The Hospital Authority has reminded its staff not to wear “biased” or “offensive” accessories after Hong Kong Police took exception to a Red Cross employee wearing a protest-themed accessory during a blood donation event.

The uproar began last Tuesday when a group of police officers walked out of a blood donation event at the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force Headquarters in Kowloon Bay after a phlebotomist wore a mini yellow hardhat accessory. The yellow hardhat has become synonymous with anti-government protests which began in Hong Kong last June.

Police said the behavior of one Red Cross staff member had “raised concern” among police officers at the blood donation center and they later decided to halt the donation efforts after assessing the risks.

The HA’s human resources division issued an email to staff on Tuesday, which said they needed to protect and safeguard the reputation, professional and conduct of staff members and the authority, and be accountable to the community in accordance with its code of practice.

“[Staff] should not wear or display any items or accessories that may lead to mistrust among patients, service recipients, members of the public or colleagues, or those that may be misconstrued as being biased or offensive,” the authority said in the email.

It said staff members failing to follow the authority’s code of practice, related policy or guidelines could face follow-up actions in accordance with complaints mechanisms for patients, the public and employees.

The vice-chairman of the HA Employees Alliance, a union of medical workers, said the authority should not intervene in such cases. Ivan Law accused the authority of applying double standards when it came to expressing political views.

He noted that the HA chairman Henry Fan had earlier expressed his support for the national security law during an interview with pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao. “So would supporting the national security law be regarded as neutral?” he questioned.

Law said medical workers should be allowed to wear any accessories provided that the items would not affect their service and met requirements in infection control guidelines.

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