Health fears as rats, cockroaches and pigeons found in hospitals

13 Jan 2014 09:32

Other vermin uncovered included ants, silverfish, wasps, weevils and squirrels

Rats, cockroaches and pigeons were among the pests to be found in hospitals in major NHS Trusts across the city during the last year.

Pest control were called out to incidents including a dead rodent in a consulting room, as well as rodents spotted in cafes at Birmingham Childrens Hospital, data from a Freedom of Information request revealed.

At Birminghams Queen Elizabeth Hospital, pest controllers disposed of a mouse in the Emergency Department, a cockroach on a ward, and pigeons in the oncology unit, with 62 call-outs by the Trust over the last 12 months.

At Good Hope Hospital a dead pigeon was removed from an X-Ray filing room, as well as a cockroach found in a ward kitchen at Heartlands Hospital, both run by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.

Other vermin included ants, silverfish, wasps, weevils and squirrels.

Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said that the information was a major safety concern.

She said: We wouldnt stand for this number of outbreaks in our restaurants, let alone our hospitals. This is a major patient safety concern, not to mention a serious compromise in dignity.

Some of the areas where pests have been found house vulnerable patients who could be at high risk of infection.

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Health fears as rats, cockroaches and pigeons found in hospitals