Woman cremated without the wedding ring she wore for 73 years after it was stolen in Woolwich hospital

The family of Rebecca Careswell, 96, claim her ring was taken from her finger while she was a patient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Woolwich.

A Freedom of Information request to the South London Healthcare Trust (SLHT) which runs the Queen Elizabeth and two other hospitals, revealed seven thefts of property from patients have been reported at the Woolwich hospital in the last 12 months.

A further seven reports were made at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRU) in Farnborough and four at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup (QMH).

Since the trust took control of the three hospitals in 2009, there have been 17 reported thefts at QEH, 11 at the PRU and 13 at Queen Mary’s.

No staff have ever been accused of any of the thefts nor disciplined in any way.

Mrs Careswell who suffered from dementia, was taken from her Sidcup nursing home to the Queen Elizabeth on April 12 following a fall.

She was examined by a doctor in A&E and admitted to Ward 2 in the hospital with a fractured pelvic bone.

Her daughter Jean Pearce remained with her mother all day until 9pm.

But Mrs Pearce, 72, says when she returned the following day, her mother was no longer wearing her ring.

She said: “It could not have been missing for very long because the mark of where it had been was still very sharp.”

Mrs Pearce and her husband Peter, from Martin Dene, Bexleyheath, claim staff tried to persuade the couple Mrs Careswell had not been wearing the ring when she was admitted.

Mrs Pearce said: “My father died suddenly in 1960 and my mother had never taken off that ring in 73 years.”

Luckily, the doctor who first saw Mrs Careswell in A&E heard the conversation with ward staff, and confirmed he had seen the ring when he treated her.

The couple took their complaint to PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Services) and were sent to the hospital’s lost and found department, but there was no sign of the missing ring.

Sadly Mrs Careswell died in the hospital on April 19 with her precious wedding ring still missing.

The trust said: “Although we cannot comment specifically on any individual cases, we are very sorry for the distress caused to this patient and her family.

“Items in the hospital do get lost or go missing from time to time and it is important to note that hospitals are easily accessible to the public.”

A spokeswoman added: “ We advise patients, where possible, they should not bring valuables into hospital with them, and strongly encourage patients and their families to hand in items, such as rings, to staff for safekeeping.”

She said: “The trust cannot accept liability for any items not handed in to staff for safekeeping.

“Where items in our care go missing, we take full responsibility for them.”

Since 2006 there have been 54 allegations of thefts from patients at QEH, 44 at Queen Mary’s and 29 at PRU.

No staff have been disciplined.

Mr Pearce, 75, said: “It is appalling people are stealing from patients when they are at their most vulnerable in hospital and where they think they are in safe hands with people they can trust.

“And having spoken to others about our experience, it seems it is the elderly who are targeted most.”