NHS hospitals battling plague of vermin, Tories reveal

Frequent infestations of rats, mice, fleas, bedbugs, ants and cockroaches plague most NHS hospitals in England, figures released today show.

More than two-thirds (70%) of NHS trusts brought in pest controllers at least 50 times over the past two years to combat outbreaks of vermin in wards, clinics and even operating theatres, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

There were almost 20,000 incidents of pest infestation in hospitals between January 2006 and March this year, the figures obtained by the Conservatives revealed. The outbreaks included rats in maternity wards, wasps and fleas in neo-natal units and maggots in patients' slippers.

Clive Boase, of Pest Management Consultancy, said insects such as flies, ants or cockroaches can be carriers of superbugs.

He added: 'These infective insects disperse through the hospital, possibly into clinically sensitive areas.

'If they come into contact with a vulnerable patient, there is a chance the patient may then develop a healthcare-acquired infection.'

Few households can claim to be free of ants, mice, or silverfish all the time, and rats are never far away. Given the scale of the NHS, the size of its buildings, and the constant flow of patients in and out, the levels of infestation do not appear remarkable.

Malcolm Padley, a spokesman for Rentokil, which provides pest control for hospitals nationwide, said: “Pests are attracted to most buildings whether they are in the private or public sector. You are likely to see pests at some point in some form or another.

“There is a problem with large buildings, like hospitals, in particular and many buildings with a lot of grounds are also attacked.

A spokesman for the HPA said: "In countries with good standards of healthcare, the possibility for insects or pests to transmit infections in hospitals would be very remote.

"In the UK, wounds are treated appropriately and dressings applied to ensure good hygiene and prevent infection."

Ivan Lewis, the health minister, said the Conservatives had exaggerated the problem, and "talked down" the NHS in order to score a political point.

The Conservatives asked all 171 hospital trusts in England for details of pest control incidents for the last two years.

Of those, 127 Trusts responded and almost all had experienced problems and 100 of them collected detailed information about pest infestations.

Of the trusts that collected detailed information 80 per cent had problems with ants, 66 per cent had rats, 77 per cent had mice, 59 per cent had problems with cockroaches, 65 per cent had biting insects or fleas, 24 per cent had problems with bed bugs and 6 per cent had maggots.

Drain flies infested operating theatres at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Fruit flies were found in a “sterile” room at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.

And unidentified insects were discovered in operating theatres at Trafford NHS Trust, Greater Manchester.

Top 10 Dirtiest NHS Trust Hospitals

Nottingham Uni Hospitals
Hull & East Yorks Hospitals
Portsmouth Hospitals
Pennine Acute Hospitals
Guy's and St Thomas'
Barts and the London
York Hospitals
Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Southampton Uni Hospitals
East Kent Hospitals