STAFF at Bathurst Base Hospital are being forced to hide wheelchairs after a spate of thefts in recent months has left them short of supplies.
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Bathurst Base Hospital general manager Cathy Marshall ordered six new wheelchairs this week - at a cost of about $300 each - after a number of the hospital's wheelchairs mysteriously disappeared.
Shockingly, even a number of wheelchairs which were hired by the hospital to cover a shortfall until the new chairs arrived have gone missing in the past week.
And a wheelchair which had been kept near the front entrance of the accident and emergency department to transport patients who had collapsed outside the hospital has also disappeared.
Ms Marshall said the wheelchairs were kept in most wards, including accident and emergency, ready to be used to safely transfer patients to their treatment.
She said staff had taken to hiding wheelchairs from the public view so they would know they were there in the case of an emergency.
She said staff had also been forced to run to a neighbouring ward to access a wheelchair for patients after finding the wheelchair from their unit was missing.
Ms Marshall said the situation was frustrating for both staff and patients.
"The wheelchairs we have here are for staff to use for their patients," she said.
"Often their use is in-semi urgent cases. If there's someone out the front of the hospital who has collapsed, we need a wheelchair straight away.
"Staff shouldn't have to run to another ward because someone has taken the one that should be here."
Ms Marshall asked anyone who knew the whereabouts of a hospital wheelchair to return it - no questions asked.
She said the wheelchairs would typically be marked with the word "Bathurst" and/or one of the hospital departments - for example, "maternity", "A&E" or "paeds".
Ms Marshall said while the hospital could arrange for people to hire wheelchairs through a third party, the hospital does not hire out wheelchairs. Anyone with a wheelchair that belongs to Bathurst Base Hospital should not have it.
Ms Marshall said any wheelchairs returned to the hospital would be gratefully received.
She also asked charity shops who come across hospital wheelchairs to return them to the hospital.