Hospitals are soft targets for criminals

More bad news for NHS staff has been released following the launch of an official probe into a growing spate of thefts from across the NHS in the wake of claims that it has become a ‘soft target’ for criminals. Thieves have been snatching everything from mobile scanner units, ambulance satellite navigation systems and even laughing gas - a trend described as a "real problem" by security chiefs.  Figures reportedly show there have been 57 high-value claims - those worth more than £20,000 - over the past five years. Among the recent thefts were a mobile scanner unit taken by thieves in Corby, Northants, causing delays for around 70 patients. More than 100,000 litres of laughing gas were also taken from Torbay Hospital in Devon in October - the second time in six weeks that the potentially hazardous material had been taken from the site. But with some hospitals seeing as many as 8,000 visitors a day, the NHS is seen as being particularly vulnerable because of its public access.

Jonathan Fox, of the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel, added: "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." Furthermore because of the growing number of thefts, NHS staff are being placed in potentially dangerous situations should they discover a theft in progress and this is particular the case with lone workers, as LookOut call’s Sue Hunt explains.

“Many of these thefts invariably occur at night or in the early hours when departments are staffed by small groups of staff or in the case of some areas such as pathology and pharmacy, lone workers. Employers must therefore ensure lone health workers do not endanger themselves in an attempt to protect either premises or property from criminals as this is not part of their remit”.

(Source – BBC)