hospital theft

[fighter]

Hello,

 

Don't know which way to turn with my dilema at the moment so I am hoping that someone can help!!! Sorry that it may be a little longwinded.

 

At the end of May this year my mom was admitted to hospital with confusion and headaches by a paramedic. Once at hospital in A&E it took them 4 hours to assess her. They couldn't work out what was wrong so they did a CT Scan which revealed a large brain tumour.

 

She waited from the early hours friday to the tuesday before she was transferred to another hospital specialising in tumours and such like. Lack of beds and because it was the bank hol weekend. The consultant told me after me moaning constantly that even though my mother was very ill she wouldn't have any futher scans/tests until after bank hol!!!!! Thought hospitals were open all year round especially for very ill patients. The doctor at the time, after some badgering, told me that my mothers prognosis was poor. This made me feel that the reason for the delay was because they had given up on her.

 

Once she had been transferred to the other hospital she again waited over 3 hours to be assessed by the doctor. They took blood tests and scheduled her for a biopsy the next morning. My brother was called to sign the consent form and was asked to remove her jewellery. He did this, but as you can imagine he wasn't thinking straight, he left them on the locker next to her bed. The nurses didn't offer or even mention a safe belongings deposit box behind the nurses station. My mother returned from the biopsy and never regained conciousness. She passed away 2 nights later. The necklaces needless to say were never seen again.

 

I have made many calls to the hospital concerned speaking with the bereavment office and the ward involved. However, there are always different nurses etc on and no-one knows where they could be as there is no record of it in the belongings book. I really don't know where to go with this....they are not of high money value but they are sentimental. Can I report it to the police and will they investigate it? I am already writing a letter of complaint to the first hospital regarding hygiene. It is not hard to understand why people go in for even the most minor ops and contract the hospital superbugs that are rife at the moment. But that is another story.

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!!

[Guest weegirl]

Sorry to hear about your situation. I had a parent in hospital recently who contracted a hospital bug whilst in there - the doctors just said she had it before she went in though. I know all about their bank holidays - it is amazing though how much you get though the louder you shout and threaten. Not the way I wanted to act, and it certainly is not the way it should be when you see people left lying with no families to stick up for them.

 

Did they have any signs up informing you where to store valuables? It may be in the patient's handbook but if these were not available you may have an arguement that they were negligent.

 

Don't want to sound negative here, but you will have a long fight on your hands. Even if they do admit responsibility, it will take ages to sort out. Saying that though, I don't believe people should just give up because they won't get anywhere, if we all did that the NHS would be a lot worse.

[emmaf01]

I'd go to the PALS people from the hospital, and ask if they will go to the police , or you will.

 

Its theft, plain and simple.

 

As for the treatment of your mother, you're right to complain. A life threatening illness should be treated and investigated immediately.

[Guest weegirl]

If they had a disclaimer notice up though, you will have a hard job proving it was the hospital's fault. To prove the hospital staff were negligent with these valueables, (or anything else) you have to prove they acted outside of their procedures, which is very difficult to do.

 

All the police can do is to ask some questions to the staff who were on that particular shift, that is if they can be bothered. As I pointed out in another post the police these days spend so much time on paperwork, a simple case of lifting someone for drinking in the street can take up the rest of their shift taking statements, typing them up etc. This has resulted in the police not being bothered in a lot of cases. They may well view this as a waste of their time as anyone, patients, visitors could have stolen them. There is virtually no chance of tracking them down, and you can bet by the time they get round to visiting the hospital, if they bother, the CCTV would have gone.

 

I know that you do have a right to complain about this, but they don't care about that. You could maybe use it as a threat to the hospital, but that will be the only use it will be.

[emmaf01]

You are so right, weegirl!

 

A sad state of affairs, but if, by your complaining, the hospital have to review their procedures and force the staff to tell people that they must look after valuables, and this stops another family from having this situation adding to an already heartbreaking time, then in my mind, that would be a positive.

 

Sometimes you can't change what has happened to you, but you can prevent it happening to someone else.

[poppynurse]

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your mother and that you were disappointed with the care she received.

 

With regard to the valuables though I have to say that it will be difficult to hold the hospital responsible for their loss. I appreciate your brother was upset but he did leave them on display in a public area and so must take some of the responsibility in my opinion. In my unit we would ask family to take jewellery home or offer to put it in the safe, if these options are not taken then the hospital can take no responsponsibility.

 

Have you written to the ward manager or matron asking for an explanation? There may be a property form in the notes that indicates that the property existed (you wouldn't believe how many people claim to have had property stolen that wasn't with them in the first place ), that would at last prove the jewellry was in the hospital. And did your mum sign a disclaimer stating that the hospital would not be responsible for property unless it was handing in for safekeeping? These documents will influence the outcome of the investigation. Also have you checked all her property carefully - the jewellry may have been tucked into a washbag, glasses case or the toe of a slipper for safekeeping.

 

I would put it in writing to the hospital then they have to investigate.

[Panthro]

Sorry to hear about your mum and her time in hospital. Unfortunately it is not up to the hospital to look after people's belongings. (We have a hard enough time looking after the patients!). The only case you would have IMO would be if they were deposited in the deed box.

 

Emma, how do you know it was theft? So many things could have happened...could have been knocked off the bedside cabinet and hoovered up, or stolen as you say. You could ask if they could contact (or give you the number yourself) to the laundry place - a lot of stuff ends up here and you might just be lucky.

 

Get the police involved if need be, however you would have to prove that it was stolen (very difficult). I have had the BiB visit me a few times to ask for a statement regarding alleged stolen property. Now I know we nurses plead poverty but I don't want to lose my job/liberty for stealing a fiver.

 

Although of no help to you now. Is my advice is to all relatives is to take everything of value, monetry or sentimental, away.

 

Good luck!

[fighter]

Thanks everyone for your replies.....

 

Update: Spoke to ward manager who has done some investigations however nothing has been found. Really nice lady actually couldn't be more appologetic. She is sending out a claims form. Although this is a nice gesture it isn't what we wanted!!!

 

Thanks Panthro for pointing out the obvious....hindsight is a wonderful thing. I have to say you have actually offended me. My mother was in no fit, conscious state to look after her own belongings. It took the doctors nearly 3.5 hours to see her on admission to even look at my dying mother. By this time it was late in the evening. My brother was called out of bed early in the morning to go to the hospital to sign a consent form for her biopsy-nurses forgot to do this on the evening prior. He was being bombarded with info....complications of procedure etc.....mind not thinking clearly!!!! It was the nurses duty upon admission to advise of belongings procedure blah blah (not done). Then at time of consent being signed he was only told to remove jewellry no option given to store for him.

 

I know nurses have a hard time but it is disgusting when a dying unconscious women can't leave her belongings no matter what the cost next to her bed. She went down for her biopsy in the morning and came back up before visiting time. That tells me that it more than likely was a member of staff!!!! My mother didn't have much to leave behind....something personal like this we should have back. You may lol at the inexpense but someone thought they were worth taking. In the time that we spent in the hospitals I saw many disturbing situations...that quite frankly most the time has nothing to do with the resource of nurses. It is plain disregard and lack of commonsense. I'm sorry to say "Clock on clock off mentality!!" I doesn't matter if it's someones mum, daughter or nanny......

 

Sorry I am probably getting alot of peoples backs up right now but I am really angry with the NHS. Feeling let down is an understatement. You expect to go into hospital to be looked after. I only hope that other families don't have to go through unneeded extra upset!

[Panthro]

Your obviously in the angry/blame stage of bereavement which is quite understandable.

 

3.5 hours is actually quite reasonable for someone not seriously injured.

 

I can't comment on transfer as don't know the bed state of other hospitals. Unfortunately although there is 24/7 nursing care, the rest of the system is still 9-5/ mon-fri.

 

Unfortunately ageism still exists amongst medical staff. However, clinical condition decides whether tests and treatments are necessary. Although your mum seems to have been actively treated e.g. biopsy.

 

It is not a nurses job to consent, it should have been the doctor that contacted your brother. In any case, relatives cannot consent (unless English law is radically different), only a consultant-level doctor can do this (incapacity). Dunno what he signed.

 

It is not the nurses duty to look after belongings, sorry but your brother was asked to take them. I understand his state of mind is a factor in not taking them home. And possibly should have offered the deed box (but things go missing in the deed box too)

 

I am not saying there a thiefs out there, just as there is in every walk of life sadly there are nurses and doctors who are thiefs - the image of angels are long gone (thankfully). Also there are bad nurses out there too that live for their days off and pay day and dont give a damn about patients.

 

I wasn't lolling at you I was lolling at the fact that the police visted me for a lost fiver (which didnt exist in the end up)

 

I find it quite sad that this episode has left you untrusting of the NHS. Sadly we only hear of the bad stories.

 

Take care.

[mree]

That tells me that it more than likely was a member of staff!!!!

 

I have to disagree with this statement - it was more than likely another patient! Stealing from a patient would have a nurse struck off the NMC register, and after the years of training to become a nurse I really can't see anyone risking their career for what you have already said were inexpensive items! Can't see them risking it for expensive items either - the training process and procedures in place to actually get on the course in the first place are designed to weed out anyone who would do this.

 

I understand you're angry and grieving, but please don't blame nurses for everything - the last commenter is correct, by the way, a nurse can't consent for a procedure like this, so the nurses didn't 'forget' to do this.