Wheelchair used to steal patients' food

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A couple used a wheelchair and blanket to steal patients' food from unattended food trolleys and fridges at Waikato Hospital last night.

The European woman with sandy, longish hair sat in the wheelchair pushed by a Maori male and stashed sandwiches and plates of food on her knees covering them with a blanket to evade detection, hospital spokeswoman Mary Anne Gill said.

When challenged by kitchen staff delivering the food about 6.15pm, the couple – aged in their 30s – fled leaving behind the wheelchair and remains of the food.

A patient in the cardiac care unit earlier reported some of her food was missing from the ward fridge.

Ms Gill said it was another busy night for Waikato Hospital duty management and security guards.

Staff also found a young Hamilton man with gang connections on his own in the hospital after he was issued with a trespass notice last month requiring a family member to accompany him on any visits.

After a challenge from the duty manager, he ran off. Security guards found him hiding in public toilets in a ward.

After consulting police, the teenager got a full trespass notice and can no longer visit the hospital.

Last week a drunken patient punched and kicked one of Waikato Hospital's senior emergency department doctors and a fortnight earlier three teenage gang members had hospital trespass notices slapped on them for intimidating staff and patients while visiting a friend.

Health Waikato chief operating officer Jan Adams last week said a review of visiting hours, boosted security including the possibility of police presence on site, were all being discussed by hospital management.

- NZPA