Princess Royal University Hospital staff lose elderly woman's belongings (From News Shopper)

Princess Royal University Hospital staff lose elderly woman's belongings

1:20pm Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Patrick Grafton-Green

STAFF at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) lost the belongings of an 84-year-old woman during a stay last year.

Daphne Style, 84, of Keswick Road, Orpington, stayed at the Farnborough hospital between December 13 and December 18 2012.

At the end this period staff packed her bags, but when she returned home she discovered several items had gone missing.

Ms Style said: "My special shoes, which were blue with velcro straps, my blue tweed skirt, which I was particularly fond of, and my purse had all gone.

"I was shocked - I am 84 and on a very limited income.

"Maybe it's because I'm of a certain age but you don't really expect that kind of incompetence."

She was in hospital after suffering from dehydration.

She said: "During the period I was in hospital I was completely non compus-mentus, and was relying greatly on the help of the staff."

Upon discovering the missing items, Ms Style immediately contacted the hospital - first phoning the ward numerous times with no satisfactory result, and after two weeks writing letters to the ward manager and PALS (Patient Advice and Liason Service).

It took until the end of February 2013 for her to be sent any kind of acknowledgement.

She said: "Maybe I'm just used to getting quick responses - but you really would have expected them to have got back to me sooner."

A statement from the PRUH said: "We received correspondence from Ms Style in Jan 2013 and investigated the matter thoroughly.

"We have subsequently (Feb 2013) sent Ms Style a claim form to reimburse her for her lost property.

"We are sorry if this process appears to Ms Style to have taken an unreasonable amount of time, however it was important that the matter was investigated properly and every effort to recover her items was made."