Having a laugh

Following the unsurprising news that the NHS is a prime target for thefts, amid reports that criminals see the service as an "easy target".

Among the items snatched have been ambulance satellite navigation systems, patients' belongings and hospital equipment and laptops.

The NHS Security Management Service believes the health service is vulnerable because large parts of its estate have to be open to the public.

It wants to see if extra measures need to be put in place to improve security.

Figures show there have been 57 "high-value claims" - those worth more than £20,000 - over the past five years.

In recent months, there have been several reports of ambulances being raided for medical equipment, while London's St George's Hospital had laptops containing data from 20,000 patients snatched last year.

One of the problems is that the public is free to come and go in many NHS sites and this leaves them vulnerable, the experts say.

In fact, some large hospitals can see as many as 8,000 visitors a day.

And now security chiefs have asked every trust in England to give them details of thefts to see what can be learned.

Here is a story from my local “Foundation Trust”-Grimly Dark back in April; Nitrous oxide canisters have been taken from Haslemere Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital this month.

Surrey Police has urged young people to beware of using the chemical as a recreational drug.

A spokesman for the force said regular misuse of the gas could cause serious long-term health problems.

In extreme circumstances, inhaling the gas could lead to suffocation or a temporary loss of motor function, he added.

The theft from Haslemere Hospital in Church Lane occurred between 10 and 11 April when two containers labelled with the word "Entonox", were stolen from an outbuilding.

Another canister was stolen from Frimley Park Hospital in Portsmouth Road in the early hours of 15 April by three men.

A security guard disturbed thieves trying to break into an outside storeroom at Frimley Park on 18 April.

Supt Johnny Johncox, from Surrey Police, said: "All our local health care trusts have been warned of these recent thefts and have stepped up their security measures accordingly.

"It is imperative that anyone using this substance, or who knows someone who is doing so, is aware of the serious implications it could have on their health."

Jill Abethell, who is overseeing the investigation for the security service, said: "We have decided to look at theft as we believe it is a real problem.

"I think like any organisation open to the public there is that risk something can be stolen.

"We have heard of ambulances having sat-navs and equipment stolen out the back while crews treat people on the street and laptops going from hospitals.”

"We want to find out more so we can look to see if measures can be taken to protect property."

She accepted there was a limit to how much could be done to make public places, such as hospitals, more secure but said security codes on doors or more surveillance might help.

Jonathan Fox, of the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel, said: "Most people will find it astonishing that people can take things like this.

"But I am afraid it does happen. In many ways the NHS is an easy target. But in the case of ambulances, every time there is a theft that vehicle has to be taken off the road and that means patients are put at risk."

Old news sadly, I was told that the income from car parking was used to boost security, but it seems that isn’t working, personally I would like to see the safety of patients put first, but “things” have always been more valuable than people.

Angus


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