Gear worth £17,000 stolen from hospitals in one year

FINE china ornaments, a mountain bike and a bag from a children's X-ray ward are among thousands of pounds' worth of items stolen from Lothians hospitals.

About 17,000 worth of equipment was taken from patients and staff at sites including the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and St John's Hospital in Livingston last year, the Evening News can reveal today.

The haul, revealed through a freedom of information request to police, varied from the serious to the unusual.

Two Royal Doulton ornaments, costing about 200, went missing from the Findlay House hospital in Seafield, while a handbag and mobile were stolen from an X-ray department at the Sick Kids hospital in Sciennes.

The most expensive loss for the NHS was the theft of a hi-tech ultrasound system that examined patients' eyes.

The equipment was valued at 10,000 when taken in July last year, although health chiefs were able to split capacity of the ophthalmic device to cater for all patients.

The figures have raised questions over security at hospitals, although NHS Lothian said there were "robust" measures to prevent crime.

Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association, said: "Of course it is the lowest of the low who go into hospitals and steal from the most vulnerable.

"But it happens, and that's why we need front door security at all hospitals to make sure it doesn't happen.

"No-one challenges you in hospitals – you could walk around all day if you wanted. If you go into a Scottish Government building you get checked like mad, and that's how it should be in hospitals."

The most thefts happened at the Livingston hospital in 2009. There were 25 reported in total, including the theft of a 500 mountain bike, tools worth 400 and a bag containing 600.

A laptop worth 500 was also taken, as well as a number of mobile phone and bag thefts.

In 12 months, there were only five thefts from the city's biggest hospital, the ERI, which included 150 smashed out of a payphone and an 800 scooter.

There were no recorded incidents at the Lothians' third acute hospital, the Western General.

John Jack, director of facilities for NHS Lothian, said: "NHS Lothian takes issues of security seriously and we are concerned and disappointed when any items are stolen.

"We have a robust range of precautions in place to guard against theft and we regularly remind staff to be vigilant and patients and visitors to be careful with their possessions and to report incidents.

"Thefts are fully investigated and the police involved when appropriate."

There were eight thefts from the Astley Ainslie Hospital in Morningside, including a computer and iPod worth nearly 1,000. Two incidents were recorded at Edenhall Hospital in Musselburgh, where cash and wallets were removed.

One wallet was taken from the Eye Pavilion at Lauriston containing 50, and Liberton elderly people's hospital was hit by thieves targeting handbags and phones.