Earrings taken from dying patient

A Waikato hospital is investigating the possible theft of a pair of earrings from a dying and unresponsive patient.

Elsie Thomas, 87, died in Thames Hospital on Friday, two days after her family complained a pair of gold earrings she had always worn had gone missing.

The family said Mrs Thomas, who was blind and unresponsive during her stay at the hospital, never took off the earrings and there were no documents showing a staff member had removed them.

Waikato District Health Board spokeswoman Ashleigh Peek said an internal investigation was under way and police were also investigating.

- NZPA