Whangārei Hospital has had a longstanding problem with people stealing food belonging to patients and caregivers, a senior manager says.
Jeanette Wedding, general manager of several Northland District Health Board departments, including district hospitals, said theft of food from communal fridges was a problem but was not one unique to Northland hospitals.
She was responding to recent reports about food and drink being stolen from the Whangārei Hospital children's ward kitchen and also the alleged find of a small bag of methamphetamine on the ward's floor.
Northland DHB received a formal written complaint on Tuesday from a patient's family member about concerns regarding what they thought was a "P" bag found in the children's ward, along with theft of food from a communal kitchen, Wedding said.
"We will enter into a formal process to investigate the complaint and will respond to the complainant over the next few weeks regarding this matter.''