Tracking down lost?stolen belongings after London hospital transfer and transport

999 is the emergency number, and since lost clothes are not an emergency I can understand that they didn't want to talk to you. Call 101 instead, which is the number for non-emergencies.

What exactly has happened? Did you leave things at the hotel or did they go missing at the hospital? Unfortunately thefts from hospital wards do happen.

Can you contact the embassy or state department of your country and see if they can offer assistance?

Also are you a member of a particular faith? If so perhaps you can turn to religious groups and see if they can offer any assistance?.

Maybe they can refer you to appropriate social service agencies which can further assist you?

What have you been left with, if anything, and how did you lose your possessions?

For the 101 number, how would you dial it from US cell phone? Thank you. It's actually not "just clothing" but I can appreciate it's not a life or death issue.

Also thank you @BostonPhil7 and @Helen

It's a bit of a story. I would be able to respond more detail in private. Trying to sort through options now. I am in a safe place though, more just considering how to collect and proceed from here.

For the 101 number, how would you dial it from US cell phone?

The same way you would from any other phone. First press 1, then 0 and then 1 again.

Hi, What an ordeal! I hope you have physically recovered. For timeline, were you tranferred first or in the hospital first? Have you contacted the hospital? Go in person as you still in London and feel up to it. Then see if you can find out what company transferred you. Both may have lost and found areas, but of course hospitals are so understaffed there may be no one to help you. Do you still have your money/credit cards?

How much longer are you in London? I'm here and can make a call for you as I have a local phone.

BADGER - blackcat has a non UK phone, so its not like that at all.

BADGER - blackcat has a non UK phone, so its not like that at all.

I'm pretty sure that doesn't matter.

https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/emergency-contact/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20in%20the,for%20non%2Demergency%20police%20services.

Dialing 011 44 101 or +44 101 should work according to link above.

011 44 101 will most likely not work, but +44 101 will probably work.

I just assumed it was 101, like 911 in the US.

As far as I knew that and 999 worked on all phones.

I never knew a foreigner had to put something before 911 in the US. Which logically from this exchange you do.

Everyday is a school day.

But really your embassy should be taking the lead in sorting this.

While I know that dialing either 911 or 999 from a U.S. mobile phone gets you a local emergency line based on your phone’s location, I am not sure the same holds true for a non-emergency number from a U.S. phone.

It is possible that 101 would work, but I am not sure that non-emergency numbers automatically translate in U.S. mobile phones. The non-emergency number in the U.S. is usually 311, but not all localities support it.

Just found this on the site.

Sounds like it might be of help to you

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/theft-scams/losing-it-all

Laura,

Thanks for that. I had never heard of 311.

In Washington State that only apparently works in Redmond and Spokane. In Kittitas County it is a totally unmemorable 10 figure number (just looked it up) and in Seattle a totally different 10 figure number!

This is not helping the OP but is very interesting and useful.

In my city, 311 gets you the City Managers office action line. No police. They have a non-emergency landline or you call the nearest station.

To OP, just ask any local you see, how to contact the police or where the nearest station is. Or stop a cop on the street.

When I was in London back in the late 90's, I lost my money belt that had my passport, credit cards, and traveler's checks, plus some cash. I went to a nearby police station and reported it there. But I knew that it had fallen off my body while I was walking and was on the street somewhere (unless someone had picked it up) so I gave them all that information. The money belt was found by a student later and turned into the police. They took it to the B&B I stayed at, who in turn mailed it to me in the states.

Without know your circumstances (which might get you more relevant answers here), I don't know if that would work for you or not. But going in person would at least give you the chance to file a report, which you might need for insurance purposes or in case someone finds/returns these items.

Or stop a cop on the street.

I was going to be cheeky and say, "What's a cop on the street", but thought better of it -- but it is true that seeing a bobby on the beat is vanishingly rare in England other than at high profile locations.

I'd be speaking to the Embassy.

I'm not sure whether Victim Support- https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/ may be able to help you, although that is more intended for UK citizens (that may be the website you were told about). If @Celeste is willing to help you by calling people it would be useful for you to share the names of your hospital and/or hotel.

Tracking down lost?stolen belongings after London hospital transfer and transport

Cannot help with the how to of contacting the local police, but, if you think it was stolen, you will probably need a police report of some sort to be able to make a claim for 'theft' on whatever insurance policy ( e.g Homeowners) you might have.

Hopefully your stuff gets found by whoever misplaced it while you were be transported from place to place, and you get it returned.

Good luck

Hopefully you’ve already done this, but you need to be contacting the embassy based just on the few details you’ve given us here. It sounds like something bad happened and they are probably going to be able to help you.

I had never thought about contacting them until one of the women on my tour group that I was with fell and broke her arm in three places and I got to deal with the British healthcare system. I didn’t contact them but the husband of this woman did contact his elected official who contacted the embassy, and they were helpful

I think they would be able to help you probably better than we can. They know what to do in the United Kingdom for what you need.

Definitely contact the Embassy. Ages ago ( early 90’s and pre 9/11 ) while traveling with a friend her wallet and passport were stolen the day before we were to return to the states. It was Christmas Eve day.

We contacted the Embassy. Seems the person who could help had already left for his country home. We also contacted the police who couldn’t have been nicer and apologetic.

Long story short Embassy official called us back at our hotel, gave us the name of a contact at Heathrow security who would be waiting for us. Arrived 2 hours early. Met the man who escorted us through security. We boarded our flight to SFO with a note from Heathrow security. Arriving at SFO we deplaned, met with a security person who took us to immigration. I remember laughing and saying wonder what silly question we’d be asked. It was what city is the Capital of the state of Washington.
LOL because my friend was born in Washington.

I tease my friend about the incident every so often and we both agree she should have married the Embassy employee.

Thanks friends. I'm going to read through your thoughtful replies some more tomorrow. Phone battery low now, and I'm tired.. Overall though, safe and thankful to be in this wonderful town.

Wow Claudia,

it does not seem that the person who stole your friend's items on Xmas Eve had the Christmas Spirit.

And in the land of Charles Dickens no less. Is it Tiny Tim who says something like to "And all a Good Night"

Glad it worked out ok for you and friend.

When I was in Hawaii, a young man at my hotel went out partying and ended up having all his possessions taken even his shoes. I think he met some persons who drugged him. He woke up in a park with no shoes and everything gone and had to walk back to the hotel. At least they left him his clothes.

I was sitting in the lobby when he was talking to the police. His ID hd been taken along with everything else and the police were giving him some kind of Notification of Theft so that he could get on the plane to get back home.

Lucky for him, he had a brother who lived in Hawaii and was coming to get him.

The young man was telling the police that he felt stupid and embarrassed to be taken like he had but the police assured him that it happens a lot to tourists.

So much for Aloha.