While the theft of this equipment will not immediately impact on our planned surgical activity this week, alternative arrangements will need to be established to prevent any cancellations

Dr John Browning, medical director

Strathclyde Police said it was investigating the theft of the materials, which were contained in two white metal boxes.

Dr John Browning, medical director of Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are very concerned about the theft of this instrumentation and, while there is little health risk to the public, the trays do contain extremely sharp instrumentation.

"While the theft of this equipment will not immediately impact on our planned surgical activity this week, alternative arrangements will need to be established to prevent any cancellations."

The equipment was thought to have been worth about �10,000.

Looking at procedures

A hospital trust spokeswoman said it would be reviewing its procedures for taking medical equipment to the trust's sterilisation services.

She said: "We have never had an incident like this before, but we will obviously now look at our procedure and see how we can prevent any further occurrences."

Detective Sergeant Gary Thomson, of Strathclyde Police, said: "If anyone has any information regarding the theft or comes across this equipment they should contact the police."

Last year five laptop computers, valued at more than �15,000, were stolen from the hospital.