Dying patient's earrings stolen

Elsie Thomas was unable to talk or move when her prized earrings were unclipped and stolen as she lay close to death in Thames Hospital. Photo / Supplied

Police are no closer to finding the thief who slipped into a hospital room and stole a pair of gold earrings from an elderly woman who was near death.

Elsie Thomas, 87, died on July 9 at a rest home, having earlier been admitted to Thames Hospital with a severe bladder infection and high heart rate.

Her daughter-in-law, Caroline Thomas, said her last days were spent in an unresponsive state.

She could open her eyes but was unable to talk or move and had to be fed through a tube.

Some time between June 28 and 30, a thief went into the room her mother-in-law was sharing with three others at Thames Hospital and unclipped her prized gold earrings, Ms Thomas said.

"She couldn't have done anything about it even if she wanted to.

"The thing is, we do not believe it was a staff member or any of the nursing staff. It is very sad but we have sort of got to the stage where we just want it to go away."

Ms Thomas said the simple nine-carat gold earrings had little monetary worth but held immense emotional value for her mother-in-law, whose best friend gave them to her shortly before she died about 25 years ago.

"As far as I can remember, she never once removed them after she got them, which is why we didn't take them off her," said Ms Thomas.

She believed the rings her mother-in-law had been wearing on her fingers were saved only because she had been on intravenous fluids, which had left her hands swollen.

Ms Thomas is appealing to the thief to have a conscience and return the earrings. "I hope whoever has them has their ears burning," she said.

"If they do have them, could they please put them in an envelope and drop them off at the hospital or anonymously at the police station or even in our letterbox. We are in the phonebook."

Sergeant Jared Thompson of Thames described the theft as abhorrent.

He believed a "stairwalker" could have been responsible but admitted that police had few leads.

"There's not much for us to go on because there are no cameras in there," said Mr Thompson.

"Usually we hope that someone will come forward. I just can't believe someone could do something like this. I can't fathom it, it is just beyond me."

Waikato District Health Board spokeswoman Mary Anne Gill said an internal review found staff did not see anything suspicious.

She said staff were co-operating with the police investigation and the hospital was reviewing its security.