Ambulance transport drivers stole all the money I had.

[OnlyOpenMouthToChangeFeet]

I’ll try to start at the beginning, sorry if a little long.

I’m disabled and bed bound and have very little support, other than my carer briefly visiting a couple of times a day. I have 3 great children, but with work and families they’re not always available, particularly during the daytime.

Therefore, for my multitude of hospital appointments, I am usually taken on a stretcher by a transport ambulance, which has for years worked well. Note that the two staff members provided are not qualified paramedics.

So today I needed an urgent X ray, was collected and taken to local hospital, then brought home. Drivers were happy, chatty, helpful as usual. You very rarely get the same two twice, but they’re all normally great and genuinely seem to care.

When I got home I noticed a £10 note on the side in the kitchen (change from the window cleaner), which I’d forgotten to put in my purse. So I get my handbag, take out my purse, and all the money I had in there was gone. I know how much it was as I checked this morning. I’m on an impossible budget with disability benefits and trying to also pay towards my care bills, so always know exactly what I’ve got on any given day.

So the ambulance drivers have stolen £120 from me, which was meant to last me for the next two weeks. Other than the £10 change from the window cleaner, I now have nothing.

I’m devastated. I don’t understand how they could do this to me?! How the hell am I meant to survive? I can’t stop crying, and am just so fucking angry and feel so stupid for trusting these people.

And to add insult to injury, the police will get back to me “maybe within a few days”.

If any of you lovely MN's have advice, I’d love to hear it.

More info needed. How many times was your handbag out of sight when you left the house, received an e ray etc? It wouldn't have just been the ambulance drivers would it?

Since you reported it you will have a crime reference number.

You can apply to the council for a discretionary social find payment, give them the CRN as your evidence. That should be through within a day.

I would be looking at getting indoor cameras too, you can pick them up relatively cheaply.

Have you reported this to the department they work for yet?

Its a horrible violation op. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

It was. It was on the stretcher with me at all times, apart from when I transferred to the table to have my X ray. The drivers then took the stretcher with my belongings on out of the room until the radiologist had finished. It was the only time it was out of my sight.

How would the PTS crew get into your handbag without you seeing them?

Report to PALS, they are great at escalating things.

In future don't keep so much cash around. Benefits are paid into bank accounts and you can pay for everything by bank transfer. It must be very difficult going to a bank machine whilst so disabled, save yourself a job.

I already have cameras, thank you, I believe this happened in the hospital. And I'm not sure how easy it will be to get any information as that team are part of a company that sub contracts to our local ambulance service, and with data protection doubt they will give me info anyway.

I do have a CRN, but have already spoken to my social worker and they say they can't help me. I've been abused all my life and just feel violated again.

I already explained, they took stretcher and my belongings out of the room.

I didn't go to a bank machine, I usually pay for everything online. It was a recent birthday gift.

That's an awful thing to happen to you. But you don't know it was definitely them. Maybe they left the stretcher trolley unattended while they went to the toilet or got a drink and someone else took your money. Find out if the hospital has CCTV in that area. You have to trust the people helping you, and right now you can't

If you Google your council name and discretionary fund, or social fund, then there should be a link to either a number or application form for it.

You don't need to go through social work or anything, you just apply.

You've reported it, you have the CRN, you're low income, nothing coming in for 2 weeks, that's what it's there for.

The social worker should at least be able to refer you to a food bank though.

There is not much help then that anyone can offer, other than the above, about contacting PALS. Even your own social worker is unable to help, you have said. It does sound hard.

The crew may have moved away from your belongings when outside the room, or at least it's an excuse that could be used. Definitely contact PALs - if you struggle to find the PTS contact contact the hospitals and hopefully they'll be able to give you the contact you'd need.

Agree contact PALS at the hospital

I do know, my X ray took literally 2 minutes then they came back in. This was a very small hospital in a local market town, they even have a lunch break 1 til 2! The only people there were the radiologist, receptionist (at other end of corridor) and the two drivers.

There will be cctv in the corridor covering the X-ray suite. Get your 3 children to visit the department and ask for it to be archived safely until the police get round to it

I will try that. Sadly due to my condition, I can't use a food bank as I have special dietary needs. Thanks for your help

I would imagine it is more likely that the ambulance staff left your bag unattended while you had your X-Ray. They probably assumed that you would not have brought anything valuable with you while you were going to hospital for your X-Ray.

The hospital have cameras that would easily identify them so I very much doubt they would take that risk.

Food banks can provide special food for different dietary requirements

Yep, our food bank is great at doing special dietary needs. All you need to do is ask.

I have found our discretionary fund, however:

"We cannot make more than 3 awards for emergency cash payments to the same household within a 12-month period"

So unfortunately I will not qualify.

What about your adult children?

Why? Have you used it before?

Thank you

"So the ambulance drivers have stolen £120 from me, which was meant to last me for the next two weeks. Other than the £10 change from the window cleaner, I now have nothing.

I didn't go to a bank machine, I usually pay for everything online. It was a recent birthday gift."

I find it hard to reconcile these two statements. Surely you have the same amount in the bank you would normally have, if this was a "bonus" birthday gift.

Ours can't. There is just one very small one locally, I live in quite a rural area.