2. Mrs O complains on behalf of her mother, Mrs I, about The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust. She complains the Trust lost two of her mother’s necklaces while Mrs I was in its care from 13 January 2022.
3. She says losing these items left her mother out of pocket. Mrs O asks the Trust to pay her £600 to cover the cost of the jewellery it lost.
5. Mrs I went to the Trust’s A&E department on 13 January 2022. She was wearing two yellow metal necklaces. The Trust said at 7.15pm Mrs I’s necklaces were removed so she could have a chest X-ray, placed in a plastic bag and put inside her handbag.
6. Mrs I was admitted to one of wards at 3am on 14 January 2022. The Trust did not record her property when she was admitted. The Trust transferred Mrs I to a different ward at 3pm on the same day. On this occasion it recorded her possessions, which did not include her necklaces. The Trust transferred Mrs I again on 18 January 2022. Again, its property record did not list her two necklaces.
7. The necklaces remain lost.
8. Mrs O complained to the Trust about her mother’s lost jewellery on 16 February 2022. The Trust’s response on 13 May 2022 explained it did not record Mrs I’s property when it first admitted her to its care.
9. We asked the Trust to look again at Mrs O’s complaint. We explained its failure to record Mrs I’s property when she was first admitted suggests it may have missed an early opportunity to try to find her lost jewellery.
10. The Trust reviewed the case and agreed to pay her £600 compensation. This is what Mrs O wanted. As there is no additional outcome for us to achieve for her, we will take no further action on this complaint.
1. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has carefully considered Mrs O’s complaint about The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust). We appreciate what she told us about her mother’s jewellery, which went missing while she was under the Trust’s care. We see the Trust has proposed compensation consistent with the outcome Mrs O wants. There is nothing more for us to achieve for Mrs O. For this reason, we will take no further action on this complaint.