Granny in tears as £250 'taken from purse' on hospital ward after fall at home
A granny was left in tears after she woke up in a hospital bed after a fall only to find that around £250 in cash had allegedly been taken from her purse.
Ursula Gay, 72, was rushed to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after sustaining injuries following a fall inside her home on Sunday evening, February 18.
Her carers rang for help before an ambulance came to her aid at about 10.20am the following morning.
The grandmother, who has multiple sclerosis, broke her leg in the nasty fall. Her daughter, Elizabeth Dunn, has now hit out at the hospital, alleging that hundreds of pounds in cash was taken from her mum's purse on the ward.
The hospital said that Ursula had not disclosed to staff that she had the cash which, if she had done, they could have kept it safe on her behalf. It discouraged high-value items being brought to hospital.
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It added that she informed a member of staff of the missing money after she was transferred to a different ward.
She was left in tears when she found the cash had gone from her bag (Supplied)Elizabeth told Glasgow Live: "It’s a corner room and the double doors were open really wide, it looked like another part of the corridor.
"When we left at 7pm on Monday, the nurses took her into the toilet which was in the room. That’s the first time she didn’t have her handbag, which was over the chair. The back of the chair was facing towards the corridor so it was visible for everyone.
"She was in the toilet for 10 minutes with the nurses who were helping her. They took her straight to bed after the bathroom rather than the chair where her handbag was.
"In the morning, she asked the nurse to pass her bag over so she could get something out of it and noticed that her purse was the wrong way up, it was upside down. She went in to check and noticed around £250 cash was missing."
Ursula, reduced to tears, alerted hospital staff and contacted the police, who said enquiries into the alleged theft were ongoing.
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow (PA)Elizabeth added: "She texted me and I told her to tell the nurse who said it’s awful. She had taken cash out at the weekend because she was putting money towards a specialised chair to help her get up and down when she’s sitting. She’s at the age where she likes to keep cash in her purse.
"It’s weird because mum had a pouch of gold jewellery that she had taken off when getting the X-ray, but they didn’t take that from her bag.
"She was absolutely gutted and so upset, she was crying. It’s so atrocious, I can’t believe it’s happened. Someone has taken advantage of a vulnerable person."
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We are sorry to hear Mrs Gay’s money may have gone missing. We have signs throughout our wards to advise patients that they are responsible for their belongings, and we discourage high value items being brought to hospital in case they become lost or stolen.
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"Patients who have higher value items or money with them during a hospital stay are encouraged to disclose this to nursing staff who can look after belongings on their behalf. Unfortunately, Mrs Gay did not alert staff on this occasion, and ward staff weren’t notified of any missing money until after she was transferred to another ward.
"This incident has been investigated, however, no outcome could be determined. We would be happy to support any further investigations from the police on this matter."
A Police Scotland spokesperson added: "We received a report of the theft of a sum of cash at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital around 1.50pm on Tuesday, 20 February, 2024. Enquiries are at an early stage and ongoing."
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