NHS staff have revealed the ‘worst of the problems’ in the health service – including exposing hospitals and buildings that are ‘plagued by rats, cockroaches and sliverfish’
Hospitals across the UK are being overrun by pests such as rats, cockroaches, and silverfish, a bombshell NHS staff report has found.
Nearly 9,000 health workers, suggests that these pests may be flourishing due to damp conditions and neglected buildings, according to a pool conducted by the Unison union. Staff have reported a host of issues including sewage leaks, faulty lighting, broken toilets, and deteriorating ceilings.
Around one in six (16%) of those surveyed admitted to spotting vermin like rats within their building over the past year. A similar proportion (16%) reported infestations of other pests such as silverfish, ants, and cockroaches.
READ MORE: Woman recalls terrifying day estranged husband shot her seven times over divorce request
Silverfish are metallic bugs that thrive in damp environments, while cockroaches are known carriers of diseases and illnesses including gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, typhoid, and salmonella. Rats are notorious for carrying several diseases such as leptospirosis (Weil’s disease), which is spread through their urine.
The survey also uncovered that 17% of staff do not believe their building is safe. Over half (52%) reported seeing buckets used to catch leaking water in their workplace buildings over the past year, while almost a quarter (23%) witnessed sewage leaks.
Some 28% stated that public toilets in their hospitals have been out of order for extended periods, while 30% reported broken staff toilets. Almost half (47%) said lifts are frequently out of order, 27% reported defective lighting, and about one in five (21%) warned of crumbling ceilings.
A staff member in the north-west of England reported a hospital besieged by rodents, where even rooms containing sterile instruments and supplies weren’t safe from rat intrusions, despite the presence of bait boxes around the facility and a persistent stench from a leaking waste pipe.
Over in Scotland, another NHS worker described a state of disrepair where ceilings had given way and the perpetual challenge of avoiding buckets placed to catch rainwater leaks created constant tripping hazards. The same building was also dealing with a beetle invasion and recurrent sewage spills due to broken pipes.
Meanwhile, an eastern England employee responsible for cleaning and managing medical equipment relayed to Unison their firsthand sightings of mouse droppings scattered across both reception floors and desks, as well as in breakrooms and sterile storage areas.
Interim chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery remarked: “Safety of patients and staff is the top priority, but this is being put at risk every day from crumbling buildings, pest infestations and sewage leaks.”
She went on to point out the financial burdens facing the service: “It’s alarming that NHS trusts have to spend lots of money on pest control on top of a rocketing, near-£14 billion backlog of essential repairs to buildings and equipment which are in a very bad way.” Cordery underlined the dire consequences of limited funding: “Vital parts of the NHS are falling to bits after years of underinvestment nationally.”
Despite the circumstances, she highlighted the commitment of healthcare services: “Hospitals as well as mental health, community and ambulance services are doing everything they can to improve productivity and deliver more high-quality care, but to do this they need safe, modern, efficient and reliable facilities. The condition of the NHS estate is holding them back from doing this as quickly as possible.”
Unison’s head of health, Helga Pile, expressed deep concern, saying: “This survey paints a worrying picture of an NHS system that’s falling apart at the seams and in need of a serious overhaul. No-one should be dodging rats, stepping over sewage or watching out for falling ceiling tiles in NHS buildings. The last thing patients or staff want is vermin, cockroaches and other unpleasant things roaming the wards. Disease-carrying pests can put people’s health at risk.
“Previous governments made wildly exaggerated claims about building new hospitals and raided pots of cash earmarked to improve the NHS estate. The NHS should be fit for the 21st century, not a crumbling Dickensian relic. Fixing the damage done by years of neglect isn’t going to be a five-minute job.
“Money needs to be made available immediately to sort out the worst of the problems. Longer-term investment plans must be sped up and maintenance budgets spared the axe. If operations are cancelled and wards closed because of pests and sewage leaks, delays and waiting times will only get worse.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care expressed dismay, stating: “These findings are shocking and just show the appalling condition the NHS estate has been left in following more than a decade of neglect. There is no better illustration of the broken NHS than dilapidated buildings and vermin in our hospitals.”
They added, “It will take time, but this government is rebuilding the NHS through our Plan for Change. We are investing over £1 billion this year in maintenance, repairs, upgrades and tackling dangerous RAAC concrete – as part of the biggest capital budget in real terms since before 2010.”