Hospital Covid Ward Worker Used Dead Patient’s Bank Card To Buy Sweets

Hospital Covid Ward Worker Used Dead Patient’s Bank Card To Buy Sweets.

A HOSPITAL Covid ward worker shockingly used a dead patient’s bank card only minutes after their death in order to buy crisps and sweets.

It only took the healthcare assistant who was working on a Covid ward a shocking 17 minutes from the death of the patient to go and buy items with the patient’s bank card.

In less than 20 minutes after the 83-year-old patient’s death the healthcare assistant had managed to buy sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks.

Ayesha Basharat aged 23, had been working at the Heartlands Hospital. She took an 83-year-old woman’s bank card after her death on January 24.

Shockingly only minutes after the woman had died the healthcare assistant used the bank card half a dozen times to make a series of £1 purchases. The purchases were made at vending machines in the hospital using the contactless touchpad.

Basharat proceeded to make yet another purchase the same evening. When she returned to work on January 28 she tried again to make two more purchases, but she found that the card had been cancelled.

When she was arrested by the police during her shift she still had the bank card in her possession. Basharat, of Farm Road, Sparkhill claimed that she had found the card and had become “muddled up”. She claimed that she had intended to use her own card when paying for the items. Both the cards were different colours though and she also ignored hospital protocol surrounding a patient’s lost property.

On Wednesday, June 9, at Birmingham Crown Court she admitted to theft and fraud by false representation. She was sentenced to two five-month jail terms to run concurrently, both suspended for 18 months.

Investigating officer DC Andrew Snowdon commented on the abuse of trust and explained that: “This was an abhorrent breach of trust and distressing for the victim’s family.

“They were having to come to terms with the death of a loved one from Covid when they found the bank card missing – and then of course the realisation that the card was taken by someone who should have been caring for her.”

He went on to comment that: “Our Hospital Liaison Officer worked closely with Heartlands security team to gather evidence in this case. I’d like to thank them and the victim’s family for their support during the investigation.

“I wish the family all the best for the future and with this conviction hope they can move on from this upsetting episode.”

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