Mystery as wedding ring discovered in air vent leaves staff baffled at University Hospital Monklands

Baffled hospital staff are hoping to solve a mystery after a wedding ring was found inside an air conditioning unit in Airdrie.

Engineers made the discovery when they were servicing the unit in the technical room of an MRI scanner at University Hospital Monklands.

The gold band was handed to the superintendent radiographer, Scott Robinson, who has been trying to solve the mystery since.

The team has no idea how the ring got into the vent or how long it’s been hidden there.

Engineers made the discovery when they were servicing the unit in the technical room of an MRI scanner. NHS Lanarkshire

Mr Robinson said they initially thought a colleague dropped it, so they sent an email to staff, but the ring didn’t match the description in any responses.

“The air conditioner is serviced annually, so it might have been there only for a year,” Mr Robinson said.

“The engineers were having a closer look inside it than normal this year because they were trying to find a small water leak, so it’s possible the ring’s been there for around four years, since the equipment was installed.”

It’s possible the ring came from a patient, as the room it was found in is near the emergency department, where many patients pass through.

“Could it be that a patient on a trolley had removed their ring, and it fell and rolled through the gap under the tech room door and then under the air conditioning unit,” he said.

“It’s a small-sized gold ring, looks quite old and has a distinctive pattern.”

Mr Robinson added: “It may not be valuable in monetary terms, but it may have great sentimental value for the owner or their family.”