A bow-tied surgeon who interrupted a hospital visit by David Cameron and Nick Clegg last week has gone on leave, according to an NHS trust which issued instructions to staff to say nothing to the media.

David Nunn, who burst in as the prime minister and his deputy were talking to a patient at Guy's Hospital in London, has gone on indefinite leave.

Cameron and Clegg looked briefly startled as the surgeon marched into the ward on 14 June and said: "Sorry. Just a minute. Excuse me, I'm the senior orthopaedic surgeon in this department. Why is it that we're all told to walk around like this and these people ..."

His words were then drowned out as an official from the NHS trust ushered him away. Nunn was objecting to the presence of a television crew and Downing Street officials who had not followed the example of Cameron and Clegg, who had taken off their jackets and ties and had cleaned their hands with sterilising gel.

As he walked out Nunn said: "I still mean it. I'm not having it. Now out."

Ushering out the TV crew Cameron said: "Why don't you disappear. Out. We have all taken our ties off."

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said Nunn had requested the period of leave. It is not yet known when he will return to work.

A spokeswoman for the trust said: "Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr David Nunn is currently on leave. As is usual practice, the care of his patients will be managed by his colleagues. The individual needs of each patient will be carefully assessed, and if we feel any patients would benefit from treatment at another NHS trust we will refer them to the appropriate consultant."

The prime minister made light of the incident at his Downing Street press conference on Tuesday. He said: "The great thing was, I turned to the patient, a charming man, and his daughter was there, and I turned to the daughter and said: 'I'm very sorry about this. This has never happened before.' She said: 'I thought that was all part of the act.' She thought we had laid on some exquisite drama, including a consultant in a bow tie in a state of high excitement."

Cameron began by explaining what happened. "I have been visiting hospitals for a few years, and this was the first time this had happened. Obviously, for some reason, the consultant hadn't been told a visit was taking place, and he was, quite fairly, concerned about levels of hygiene – not amongst the politicians; we had all wiped our hands and rolled up our sleeves. I think he was a bit more worried about some of the people who were filming us."

Downing Street said they were not involved in the statement by the NHS Trust.