Help catching thief

[ballybean]

Changed username as don't want to be outed. Im a nurse and we often receive gifts from patients. We have a press where we leave gift bags with peoples names in them. We might get candles, creams etc and collect them when we come in. We also often get vouchers which are put into a locked drug press which only the nurses (only from our ward) have access to, only one set of keys with floats around the place but always in someone's hand. Mainly managers have them and we take them as needed. These vouchers keep going missing so is a nurse taking them. Manager not doing anything about it. Very hard to monitor the vouchers coming in as usually patients drop them in when being discharged so can't control who they are handed to. We started locking them in drug press for safety but it's not working.

I'd love to catch the robber! Obvious action would be to place camera on drug press which will stop them but you legally have to say if camera on staff. I suggested putting tracker on the voucher!!! My colleague said this is prob illegal! Any other suggestions?

It appears the thief, assuming they are working alone, is accessing the controlled drugs cupboard alone. That's a breach of policy and procedure. Surely the keys should be signed out and there should be a written log of what has been taken from the cupboard, countersigned by the second person with date and time? The lax attitude to people taking the keys is a real worry. How does anyone know they are not taking controlled drugs? The system in operation is shit.

How do I PM on app?! Very interested to hear your idea!

Yeah I think locked box is easiest option. We would need more than 2 to know code as there are about 50 of us on ward. We'd often go weeks without seeing another collegue. I think all senior managers should know it. Could be one of them but it will narrow it down if another goes missing. The main manager isn't stealing them. The last two went missing when she was off for Xmas.

Security in hospital are shite. They barely help with abusive patients never mind missing vouchers! It's a small hospital, don't want to put myself. We have one main reception, none for ward specifically so wouldn't work leaving it there. I'd always take them home for friends who live nearby me but as I said I work part time so can go weeks, sometimes months without seeing some of my colleagues.

The drug presses are in a store room are about 12 metres away from our main office so can be accessed alone although there's always at least 9 of us on shift so it's ballsy to take something as you wouldn't always hear people approaching the store room.

I know you need a solution for the vouchers but as there is a thief god knows what else they are stealing! I would group together and insist the manager or their manager sorts this out immediately. Then go to HR.

It may be that it's just a thief or they are struggling financially and desperate so may need support or they are also stealing drugs for some reason (which your manager then has to address so I would labour this point). Whatever the reason you need it to stop immediately.

It's madness that someone in a position of trust working in a hospital is stealing and the management aren't worried about it.

If stuff is going missing from the CD cupboard can you involve pharmacy? It might scare the thief a bit even if nothing is found? Also I believe nothing should be stored in the CD cupboard that isn't CDs so it might force your manager's hand?

Just get a miniature hidden camera and find out who it is. Then change where the vouchers are kept/the procedures.

All this about fake vouchers is ridiculous. They are probably selling them for cash on Facebook etc and not using them themselves.

If you know who it is surreptitiously, you can then look into if they are selling them on marketplace etc.

What’s your policy on accepting gifts? Can’t they all be registered with a manager having accountability for the redistribution?
What do your friendly colleagues think? It’s probably reportable. What’s a drug press and are you allowed to store anything that isn’t a drug in it?

so many questions! 🤣

Change the system so that one person has the responsibility for managing it. They log vouchers in and out. They keep the vouchers in a secure place that only they (and maybe one other person) have access to.
Then set up a system so voucher recepitents that are on shift different times to the voucher manager can still get them.

I'm guessing this isn't the NHS and I'm also guessing you are in Ireland from the use of the word press.
Keeping anything else in a medicine cupboard is dodgy and could lead to serious repercussions if inspected. I would still be suspicious of your manager

If you use a hidden camera, you could get yourself a pay as you go phone, then send the footage to all the individuals on your What's App group. You wouldn't be able to send it in the group without an invitation from the admin.

Don't make any comment, just send the footage to everyone, including the thief and let nature take its course.

You said that two people are meant to be present when accessing it for the medicines, which clearly isn't happening when the vouchers are going missing (unless two people are in it together). It's serious issue that people are accessing the cupboard alone. Whoever is stealing the vouchers is leaving themselves wide open to disciplinary action for that alone, never mind the thefts. Why isn't management addressing it?

Just wondering if the thief has been caught?!