Patient’s Property Policy

The Trust Responsibilities

In general, the Trust only becomes liable for patient property if it can be shown that it has assumed some responsibility for it. However in certain circumstances its duty of care towards patients means that it will inherit an obligation to look after their property even where no explicit transfer of responsibility has occurred.

The Trust has a responsibility to provide safe custody for money and other items of personal property handed in by patients for safe keeping or that are in the possession of unconscious or confused patients or found in the possession of patients who subsequently die in the hospital.

Patients being admitted to hospital either from home or via Accident and Emergency should be actively discouraged from bringing valuables and other non-essential property with them.

N.B. - a patient may consider that any item with them is valuable within reason but special consideration should be given to: jewelry, cash, bank cards, hearing aids, spectacles, dentures, keys, watches, pension / benefit books, legal documents, mobile phones and religious items.

Policy Details