There has been a huge rise in reports of belongings going missing from patients at the Isle of Wight's hospital, the County Press can reveal.

Since 2021, St Mary's Hospital has seen a year on year increase in reports of personal possessions disappearing.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust said 'losing personal items can be distressing' and it would like to remind patients of 'the importance of looking after their belongings'.

Last year, there were 219 reports of missing items made to the trust, compared to 84 reports received in 2022 - a rise of around 260 per cent.

In 2021, when strict Covid-19 restrictions were in place, there were 27 reports.

In total, there have been 330 reports of belongings disappearing from patients over the last three years.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed the most common items to have gone missing in that period were jewellery and clothing.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Figures show 140 items of jewellery disappeared — 67 last year, 41 in 2022 and 32 the year before.

There were also 93 reports of clothing going missing. Other patient belongings to have disappeared include glasses, dentures and hearing aids.

One Islander told the County Press his mum's hearing aid went missing while she was in the Emergency Department at St Mary's, in November 2022.

After noticing it had disappeared, he said he raised concerns with a staff member who told him they could not find it and it may have gone missing in the ambulance.

A report was subsequently lodged with the trust by another family member, but the hearing aid was not found.

An email sent to them at the time read "the lost property policy was not fit for purpose" and said it was being reviewed.

The Islander called for something to be done to "safeguard" patient's items.

"People rely on hearing aids and they're a necessity", he said.

"There should be an inventory of the patient's belongings when they are admitted or something.

"Patients can't be responsible for their belongings when they're not 100 per cent fit."

Of the reports received, the trust said 193 of them were investigated and it received more than 33 claims for items over £50 and 11 claims for belongings under £50.

It said not all investigations had resulted in a claim and this could be because there is not enough evidence for one to be made, or the patient did not wish to take it forward.

The trust said there were over 26,000 people admitted to St Mary’s Hospital last year and "the majority of patients" left with all their personal belongings.

It said when items do get lost, NHS equivalent replacements are offered, where possible.

A spokesperson said: "We recognise losing personal items can impact a person’s comfort and recovery and staff do their absolute best to ensure they are looked after and remain with the patient.

"Patients are advised not to bring any valuables into the hospital and are reminded of the policy for patient property and the importance of looking after their personal belongings.

"Items of value should be handed to a relative for safekeeping or can be stored securely on the ward or at the cashier’s office if necessary."

The County Press asked whether any staff had faced an investigation, disciplinary proceedings or lost their jobs in relation to items going missing.

The trust's Freedom of Information team said it would not provide an answer as the information 'constitutes personal records'.

Fewer than half of the items reported missing between 2021 and 2023 were returned to patients, the trust confirmed.