Can an employer be held liable for the theft of a physician's clothing?

In Edwards v. West Herts Group Hosp. Mgmt. Ctee., supra, the plaintiff was a resident house physician at a hospital and was required by the terms of his employment to live at a neighbouring hostel provided by his employer. On returning to his bedroom one night he found that some of his clothing had been stolen. He brought suit against his employer on the grounds that either they were in breach of a duty owed to him to take reasonable care to prevent his clothing from being stolen or that they were in breach of a term to the same effect implied in his contract of employment.