To think this really is the lowest of the low

[LoopyLou1981]

Just found out that someone has stolen one of the portable DVD players from the children’s ward at our local hospital.
What sort of a scumbag do you have to be to do that?! 😡

Happens all the time I'm afraid. And is usually a parent or visitor.

This 'if it's not nailed down it will be stolen' attitude has been prevalent over the last 20 years at least in hospitals and probably other public buildings as well.

What can be done to stop it?

A few years ago the local Cave Rescue team had their Land Rover stolen, despite it being clearly labelled as a cave rescue vehicle. So money that could have been spent improving equipment and saving more lives (cavers, walkers, and sheep falling down potholes) had to be diverted into replacing the land rover.

trouble is its a place where lots of vunerable people will be too.gosh I cant excuse it.but it must happen more than we know of.people are often here for whatever reason a ttheir lowest ebbs.

My SIL works at a large teaching hospital, and someone was caught on CCTV stealing a bedside locker

There have always been people who will behave like this. They will steal from anywhere if they get the chance.

I am old enough to remember being in hospital and having all the pillows i wanted, leaving my possessions while i went to the loo etc and nothing was ever stolen. Why have things changed so much?

Also in the 80% that might, one of the factors is often after a trauma. When you've had an awful bereavement or job loss or break up or health diagnosis, often people are more likely to say 'fuck it' and abandon their own previously dearly held values.

I have a very close friend who, a couple of decades ago, stole several thousand from her job. She was desperate for a child and had had all of the free IVF in her area and simply couldn't afford another round of paid after using all her savings and selling her home for a few paid rounds. She was so desperate for a child and heartbroken she nicked thousands.

She got found out and luckily as she was such a good employee with an unblemished record beforehand she was allowed to return the cash and resign instead of reporting to the police.

She's lovely, never did anything like that before or since (as far as I know) but her absolute desire to be a mum and the heartbreak of years of trying led her to this moment of madness. I know not all thefts are like this but it does make you think. And people aren't usually at their best and most rational and calm in hospital.

She moved locations in the end and got one final free attempt she wasn't expecting, and he's now fifteen this month!

Sorry OP but I can one-up you, I'm on a NICU ward with DD2 who was born at 27 weeks & people steal the breast pumps. They're £1800 new as they're Hospital grade, but who the fuck is going to buy that? Absolutely disgusting behaviour

StylishMummy Are they maybe stealing to use it and avoid having to buy their own?

blanktimes It has always happened, and not just in hospitals, but charity buildings, schools, etc. Basically anywhere where for whatever reason it is easier to steal. And no, it is not always people on drugs.

Nailing things down doesn't even help.

One hospital I worked at put new coat hooks on the back of the doors in the A&E men's toilets - concealed screws and everything. All five were gone by the end of the day.

The same hospital had a tropical fish tank sponsored and maintained by a local company in one of the outpatient clinics. All the best fish were stolen by a man who carried them away in a bucket he'd brought with him to steal them.

I was in A & E with my DD Saturday and I said to my DH how sad it was that everything had to be locked away so people couldn't steal it

I agree with you OP.

But interestingly I think that scumbags probably see it as a victimless crime as it will just be replaced by the NHS. Of course it means in the short term sick kids can't watch anything and wastage of NHS resources that could be better spent elsewhere in reality but said scumbags have a strange mindset.

This thread is making me feel sick. I had no idea this was such a problem. It's unbelievable.

I trained as a First Aider 30 years ago. One thing we were taught was that if you were helping someone in the street, make sure your bag was safe, as the chances were it would be stolen. The trainer had had her bag stolen while giving mouth to mouth resuscitation at an accident on the street, and apparently it was quite common.

A friend 40 years ago was diagnosed with epilepsy which was poorly controlled. It was common for him to come round after having a fit on the street and find someone had stolen his money.

None of this sadly is new. The difference perhaps is that more people hear about it than in the past.

i also have a friend who had her crappy car stolen from a disabled bay in tesco with her disabled badge in it whilst she was doing a late night shop. it was found later burnt out. the financial and practical problems the theft of her car, worth a few hundred pounds, was beyond measure. to then set fire to it just for amusement made me more angry than anything else.

When I worked in a bank they had statistics where something like 40% if people would steal from the bank accounts if they knew no one would ever find out.

Out pub was broken into this weekend and some damage done. The pub was shut so no one harmed and covered by insurance so no harm done. Completely different from a bloody hospital.
No one wants hospital wards covered by cctv but what else can you do.

I was in Bristol childrens hospital with ds when he was a baby and it doesn't surprise me. A mother and her brother brought one of her children in for a minor procedure. They were told if no bleeding he could go home. Oh no they weren't having that. The uncle started saying he was a wanker not to his face of course. They had booked a hotel room so left the poor mite there all night. He was profoundly deaf and had obvious disabilities kept walking all over the ward the nurses had to chase after him all night. Mum and uncle returned the next day saying they needed hospital transport to exeter and uncle was on the phone saying he needed some pot because he had a nightmare time. People would arrive empty handed with babies saying they needed nappies etc and milk. There's a boots in the next door hospital.

I know of one of the other 10% Limon. She befriended me and stole from me. She also took the wallet of a man who had taken his own life- from his body. She was arrested both times. She has no issue other than greed and skewed morality.

She would have no problem taking an iPad from a child in a coma, because she wouldn’t see him as needing it.

Fortunately, she is the only person I have ever met (to my knowledge) who would behave in this way.

My friend worked for big local toy company. As part of their community work, they refurbed the children's a&e waiting area with lovely shelving and toys.

She brought her boss along ONE WEEK later to show them and everything was gone. The room was empty.

I was in a 6 bed bay on a children’s ward as a child - was the only one awake one night and 2 men came in. One sat on my bed and pretended to be the relative of a patient and distracted me whilst the other nicked the 1 TV we had on the bay (this was the late 80s, way before bedside TVs).

I had to go through mugshots with the police and be moved for my safety.

They installed an intercom system on the ward after that.

Utter scum.

My friend is a HCA, she had her brand new nursing shoes stolen. From the locked staff room.

Remember as well that some people are sociopaths, they literally have no conscience.

when I was having DD1, someone took the disposable knickers from my bedside locker. I was cross for a minute (it was tricky for me to get hold of more while I was in the hospital), but then copped on!

It is sad that so many people will steal, certainly. You just hope that it is mostly because they have to, not because they just feel like it.