‘If we do find one has been taken, the theft is reported to Humberside Police who work closely with our Security teams to identify those responsible’
A photo of the wheelchair posted on Facebook after it went missing from Hull Royal Infirmary(Image: Submitted)
Wheelchairs from Hull Royal Infirmary have been spotted across the city – and the hospital has now warned the police will be involved when its chairs go missing. A hospital boss said this “ongoing problem” has a “significant impact on patients” who use the complimentary chairs to get around the hospital.
Two chairs have been spotted this week in the city centre. Earlier this week, a photo was posted on Facebook page HU5 showing an abandoned wheelchair that belonged to the hospital on a pathway.
Teams from the hospital are now trying to find both of them. Facilities manager Graham Taylor said whenever a wheelchair goes missing, Humberside Police get involved to help find out who took it.
The hospital has considered using coin slots to encourage people to return the chairs. Anyone who sees an abandoned wheelchair can call the number of the portering team that is printed on the chair.
The hospital said it works closely with local scrap dealers to stop them from being sold for profit. Graham said: “This is an ongoing problem for us and has a significant impact on our patients.
“Our wheelchairs are there for our patients who need them and every one that goes missing is one less for someone who needs help to get to a clinical appointment. We understand that people sometimes take a hospital wheelchair to the nearby car parks to help a relative or friend into a vehicle, but they are manufactured for the hospital environment and not designed for prolonged outdoor use or to leave our sites.
“When you come to hospital with an injury or a condition that means you’re not able to get around without a wheelchair, you want to know that they are here and available for you to use – not taken off site and abandoned in the street. Patients and visitors can help to ensure they are easy to find by bringing them back to the designated holding areas when they have been used, so they are clean, dry, and ready for the next person to use.
“We have considered using trolley-style coin slots to encourage people to bring them back but that means that patients would need to have cash on them to access them, which doesn’t seem fair either. It’s really important to us that our wheelchairs are there when you need them so, if we do find one has been taken, the theft is reported to Humberside Police who work closely with our Security teams to identify those responsible.
“We also work closely with local scrap dealers, who will contact us if anyone attempts to sell them one of our chairs. We also really appreciate your help in letting us know if you see one of our chairs that’s been taken off the site. A quick phone call on the number on the back of the chair really does make a difference to getting these returned for our patients.”
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