Hospitals pests row
RATS, cockroaches, mice and insects have been found in Tunbridge Wells' hospitals.
Shocking figures obtained by the Courier reveal cockroaches spotted in the special care baby unit and stroke victims sharing a ward with rats.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was forced to call in pest controllers 193 times between February 2007 and November 2009.
"It's horrible," said Laura West, from Crowborough, who gave birth at Pembury Hospital in January 2009.
"If I had known about cockroaches in the maternity ward I would have looked for somewhere else."
Pest controllers visited Kent and Sussex Hospital 54 times during the three-year period, where they dealt with rats, cockroaches, mice, biting insects, wasps, hornets, flies, ants and pigeons.
Call-outs included rats found in the sexual health clinic, ambulance quarters and a ward for stroke patients.
There were also cockroaches found in wards for elderly patients, those preparing for surgery and patients who had suffered heart attacks.
At Pembury Hospital there were 74 call-outs.
These included rats in the renal unit and a ward for patients recovering from surgery. There was also a rat in the hospital entrance.
Cockroaches were discovered twice in less than 18 months in the Special Care Baby Unit and three times in a year in the maternity unit.
Pest controllers were also called twice in a month in 2008 to deal with cockroaches in the hospital's kitchens.
Dr Sarah Evans, who gave birth to son Harry in January 2008, said she found the maternity ward clean.
"We didn't see any problems," said Dr Evans, who has worked in hospitals in Britain and abroad.
"I have never seen pests in a hospital I have worked in. If I had known (about the pests) I would have thought twice about going to Pembury."
The figures have seen a steady decline at Pembury – with 35 visits in 2007, 24 in 2008 and 15 in 2009. But at Kent and Sussex the figures are less clear-cut – pest controllers were called out 21 times in 2007, 13 times in 2008, then 20 in 2009.
A hospital trust spokesman insisted that any evidence of pests was dealt with quickly and effectively.
He said: "Pest control is not an indication of cleanliness. Buildings of this age, size and nature naturally attract some unwanted visitors but that doesn't mean they are unclean.
"Three quarters of the call-outs to Kent & Sussex in 2009 related to ants during the summer and we saw a similar picture at Pembury."
6 Comments
by EE, Pembury
Thursday, February 25 2010, 10:17PM
“Haven't I read this story before in this paper? The wonders of the Freedom of Information Act on a slow week...
I agree with the other comments. This is a very old building so obviously it is going to have some pests; thank goodness they are being dealt with. Let's put this is perspective - no baby has been found covered in cockroaches or eaten by rats. I have been operated on in Pembury and had my child there and yes , the buildings are old and in need of replacement and the wards look a bit tatty, but the standard of cleaniness and the care and dedication of the staff could not be faulted. Pretty irresponsible of that doctor to suggest otherwise.”
by P W, From SE In Nw
Thursday, February 25 2010, 2:11AM
“I used to go to the Rheumatology department at the back of the (old) Pembury Hospital, my Doctor there said the oldest building they were in regularly had cockroaches - which regularly needed dealing with, she reckoned they had been around since the time the place was the local workhouse in Victorian Times, and she thought that they'd probably still be around when the new hospital came about. (I hear it's a myth though that they could withstand a nuclear attack though) :D”
by P W, From SE In Nw
Thursday, February 25 2010, 2:08AM
“I used to go to the Rheumatology department at the back of the (old) Pembury Hospital, my Doctor there said the oldest building they were in regularly had cockroaches - which regularly needed dealing with, she reckoned they had been around since the time the place was the local workhouse in Victorian Times, and she thought that they'd probably still be around when the new hospital came about. (I hear it's a myth though that they could withstand a nuclear attack though) :D”
by j Richter, TW
Wednesday, February 24 2010, 5:55PM
“Dunno, seems like a lack of cleaning and maintenance to me:
”
by Alex, Tunbridge Wells
Wednesday, February 24 2010, 10:36AM
“Yes i totally agree with the comment from Dave, surley its a good thing that we have reports like this. Pests are everywhere, not just in our hospitals!”
by Dave, Tunbridge Wells
Wednesday, February 24 2010, 10:33AM
“Given the age of the buildings I think I'd be more worried if there were no reports of pest control for the hospitals. After all the pests are bound to be there - if pest control weren't called in it would mean the problem was being ignored rather than dealt with.”