| An investigation by the Tele has revealed the full extent of the outbreaks, with hundreds of incidents reported since 2008.
NHS bosses said today they were spending thousands of pounds dealing with the rodents, bugs and creepy crawlies on their premises.
Scottish Patients Association executive director Dr Jean Turner said the figures would be “worrying” for patients concerned about picking up hospital-acquired infections.
“If you have these things running around you always have the risk of food contamination,” she said.
“We do not want patients worrying that they are going to pick up a bug when they are in hospital.
“And if you’ve got mice running about there is a chance they could chew at wires and that could also be a fire risk.
“I think patients want to know our hospitals are clean, but I’m not sure that is the case.”
Our investigation found that NHS Tayside has been alerted to 995 pest control incidents since the start of 2008.
Although the majority of cases involved ants and silverfish bugs, there were also reports of maggots, biting insects, cockroaches and black beetles in hospitals across the region.
Recent cases included cockroaches being reported at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin in March and April.
Since the start of the year Ninewells Hospital has called pest controllers to deal with silverfish, mice and wasps.
The total estimated cost to NHS Tayside of dealing with cases since last autumn alone is put at almost £10,000.
“NHS Tayside has a local pest control contract in place and we have robust procedures across all our sites for reporting pest control problems,” said a spokeswoman.
“When we have a problem our pest control contractors are called in straight away and all reports are dealt with immediately.”
In Fife, meanwhile, problems reported included ants in a haematology ward at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline in March.
Other pest problems at at hospital premises in the region have included fleas on a ward at Lynebank Hospital, biting insects, rats and flies.
In the last financial year, specialists made 25 visits to wards and other areas of Stratheden Hospital, Cupar, in relation to cockroaches.
NHS Fife spokesman Gavin Brown said, “All areas of NHS Fife have a preventative pest control contract which includes routine inspection and treatment visits.
“The reports show the detail of responses to sightings of pests but none of these incidents have been categorised as infestation.” |
