Rats, ants and cockroaches
English disgust: Clinics complain about pest infestation
A nurse walks through a hospital corridor in England
© Jeff Moore / PA Wire / DPA
England’s health system is groaning. There is a lack of money and staff. Now there is a new problem in the clinics: it’s not just patients, nurses and doctors who are disgusted by it.
Hospitals in England are complaining of a pest invasion. In the past three years, More than 18,000 pest problems were reported to NHS clinics. The Guardian newspaper reported this on Tuesday, citing data collected by the opposition Liberal Democrats. Only 59 of the 142 NHS sponsoring organizations asked responded to the requests, which is why the problem is probably much bigger.
Incidents reported included rats in maternity wards, maggots in a mortuary and rodents in the kitchen. One clinic reported that an entire building was infested with flies and that animal noises could be heard coming from the walls. At another hospital, rat feces were found in body bags as well as a headless dead pigeon. The cost of correcting the problems was said to be more than three million pounds (3.5 million euros).
The National Health Service (NHS) is considered chronically underfunded and underpaid. Patients complain about long waiting times.
Liberals criticize England’s government: “A national scandal”
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, spoke of shocking conditions. “People in need need protection from insects and rodents. Instead, hospital wards are collapsing and nasty pests are free to roam,” Davey said. “This is a national scandal.” The Conservative government has left the NHS to decay.
The Ministry of Health in London blamed the hospitals. The government has made significant sums available to modernize NHS buildings and create the necessary conditions for employees.