Pennine Acute Trust denies pest problem

Pennine Acute Hospital Trust, which runs Rochdale Infirmary, is in the top five for pest control call-outs in the country according to new figures.

The statistics, obtained by the Conservatives under the Freedom of Information Act, show Pennine Acute had 855 pest-control visits between January, 2006, and March of this year.

A spokesman for the trust said: “We carry out regular inspections in all our hospitals to identify potential problem areas and we take pest control and eradication very seriously.

“The systems we have in place are designed to identify and then deal with any issues. We do not have a pest problem and indeed the aggressive approach we take whenever concerns are raised prevents this.

“We actively encourage our staff to report any issues directly to our specialist contractors who investigate and carry out follow up checks.

“Any survey based on trust figures involves comparing our trust, which runs four general hospitals and two other sites, with trusts with fewer hospitals.

“We are one of the biggest trusts in the country.”

Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, has defended the Trust, accusing the Tories of misleading the public over claims that NHS hospitals are suffering from high levels of pest infestations. He said: "The Tories are more interested in talking down the NHS and spreading scare stories than in acknowledging the real progress we have made on hospital cleanliness."

"The Government’s strategy for delivering clean, safe care is working, as the latest figures for MRSA cases, which show a 33 per cent reduction from last year, prove. All hospitals have been deep cleaned in the last few months thanks to millions of pounds of extra investment and we now have more than 5,000 matrons across the NHS – more than double the number we had last year.

“They are able to report any concerns they have on hygiene direct to the board and order additional cleaning where appropriate. Under the Hygiene Code, NHS bodies are required to have a pest control policy and it is simply good practice for pest controllers to make routine visits. But there is no evidence that pests are spreading healthcare associated infections.”

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust topped the table of pest-control call-outs, with 1,070.

Overall, 127 of the 171 NHS trusts which responded to the request for information reported almost 20,000 incidents of pest infestation over the past two years.

Eighty per cent reported problems with ants, 66 per cent with rats, and 77 per cent with mice.

Cockroaches were said to have been reported at 59 per cent of trusts, fleas or other biting insects at 65 per cent, bed bugs at 24 per cent, and maggots at 6 per cent.

While most infestations involved non-clinical areas, some were nearer to patients.

The Government dismissed suggestions that the problems were linked to the spread of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and insisted that the threat to patient safety was negligible.

Health Minister Ivan Lewis said: “The claim that insects spread hospital-acquired infections is entirely unproven.

“There is no evidence of their carriage of antibiotic-resistant bacteria being a hazard to patients.

“Despite this, we expect hospitals to take continued action to tackle these pest problems.

“The use of pest control is seen as good, pro-active management.”

Other groups, however, remained unconvinced.

A spokesman for the Patients’ Association said: “Such findings are truly revolting.

“How can patients be safe amid bed bugs, fleas and rats?

“If these hospitals were restaurants they would have been closed down long ago and put out of business.”