A hospital has apologised after a chronically ill patient was discharged for a day and all his possessions were dumped.

Paul Miller says hundreds of pounds worth of clothes and books were cleared from his room at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Paul, 40, was allowed a home visit during an 11-week stay in hospital towards the end of last year.

When he returned on Boxing Day he said the entire room had been cleared of his stuff, including Christmas presents.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said Mr Miller's possessions were disposed of by cleaners in error and has offered him compensation.

However Paul, who suffers from a long-term stomach condition, suspects his valuables may have been stolen.

He said: "I'm in and out of hospital and was in for 11 weeks in December and January. They told me to leave all my stuff.

"When I came back the room had been cleared. There was a new jacket, new books, Polo tops. Even the Christmas tree was gone.

"The hospital offered me £144 but that wouldn't even cover the cost of the jacket.

"I looked into the cost of replacing everything, brand new, and it would be about £550."

A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "Mr Miller’s room was cleaned while he was out of hospital on a home visit.

"Unfortunately, his possessions were removed from the room during the cleaning and disposed of.

"We have apologised to Mr Miller and his family, and are discussing appropriate compensation with him."

"Domestic staff who find any belongings have been reminded belongings should be handed to the ward staff."

It comes after it was revealed that hundreds of items belonging to patients go missing from Glasgow's hospitals every year.

Information obtained by our sister paper, the Evening Times, shows patients were discharged without 227 of their possessions over the past two years from hospitals including the new South Glasgow University Hospital.

And the haul included ten stolen vehicles.

In February, we told how security was to be overhauled in Glasgow's hospitals after a series of breaches involving patients' property.

Random checks by an accountancy firm found that in five wards of Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, valuables were not secure.

One safe in the cash office at the Vale of Leven hospital in Inverclyde was kept unlocked for some time.

NHSGGC said it was in the process of putting in place tighter policies and procedures and had appointed a Head Cashier.