Southampton hospital says lost property is 'an ongoing problem'

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said patient property at Southampton General Hospital "gets lost and found all the time".

The revelation was made to resident Tania Pegg who filed a complaint to the trust after her mother’s wedding ring disappeared from her finger following her death in May.

The 60-year-old from Lordswood was awarded £425 in compensation following an investigation.

In a letter to Mrs Pegg shared with the Echo, trust chief executive David French said: “Property gets lost and found all the time; unfortunately, we cannot comment on how many articles are lost in a year.

“However, it is an ongoing problem throughout our Trust, one which we are trying to address.”

Mrs Pegg wants the trust to learn from her experience after Mr French admitted he was "uncertain" about the circumstances that led to the removal or potential loss of her mother's ring.

She described the trust’s attitude towards the incident as "appalling" and vowed to "not lie down and say nothing".

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She said: “I am pleased that an internal investigation has been undertaken. 

“However, I remain frustrated at the management's consistent refusal to even entertain the fact that mum's wedding ring has been stolen.

“Because of the nature of mum's disabilities - particularly affecting her left hand - the ring would have had to have been deliberately removed.”

The investigation was launched in June this year. 

Sheila Tarrant (Image: Tania Pegg)

Mrs Pegg’s mum, Sheila Tarrant, 87, died at Southampton General Hospital on May 3 after suffering a third stroke.

Mrs Pegg said she is pleased "learning from the investigation" has been shared trust-wide to prevent incidents like this from happening again.

But she remains adamant the ring was deliberately taken and is trying to shine a light on the issue.

She said: “I think 99.9 per cent of staff at the hospital are amazing, and I am not trying to trash them or bring down the NHS.

“I am trying to stop vulnerable people being taken advantage of.

“I would like the trust to acknowledge that this is ridiculous, and that the ring could have been stolen.

“If they are not going to accept that theft is possible, they are never going to try and stop it.

“I do hope that the changes made in the hospital will indeed prevent any other family from going through this terrible upset.”

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The trust stated the appropriate steps were taken when Mrs Pegg first raised the matter with them.

A spokesperson for University Hospital Southampton said: “We are sorry that Mrs Pegg is unhappy with the result of our investigation into her mother's missing ring, particularly as the item has such sentimental value.

“We took the appropriate steps when Ms Pegg first raised the issue with us, which was a thorough search of the ward and discussions with those in charge and involved in her mother's care.

“Despite best efforts the ring unfortunately was not found and, as a result, the Trust has agreed to pay compensation.

“An internal investigation was launched, and we have instigated some trust-wide learning as a result of this case including an updated property checklist form which will be reviewed regularly throughout a patient's stay and staff training regarding patient property.

"We will also encourage patients to hand jewellery over to the care of family or loved-ones for safe-keeping or only remove from the patient if absolutely necessary i.e. for treatment, care or infection prevention.

“We are trialling a pilot system that will allow patients to lock their personal belongings and valuables away.”