RATS IN HOSPITAL
Kitchens closed after vermin infestation
POLITICIANS have demanded action after rats were found in a Scottish hospital.
Pest control experts rushed to Perth Royal Infirmary this week after the rodents were spotted in the kitchens.
A health board spokesman said: “NHS Tayside called contractors out immediately following a report of a suspected pest sighting.
“Environmental health officers were also notified and invited to attend the site. All appropriate inspections and infection control procedures were carried out.
“Food production was temporarily stopped. There was minimum disruption to patients, who were provided with an alternative lunch, and normal service was resumed by early afternoon.”
Tory MSP Alexander Stewart said: “I am horrified that a rat has been spotted in the kitchens of Perth Royal Infirmary. As a matter of urgency, NHS Tayside must ensure their policies of prevention and detection of pests are robustly reviewed and overhauled.
“There is clearly a building maintenance issue and patients and staff alike must have confidence in the cleanliness of the kitchens.
“This is immediately relevant to the hospital as a whole as patients and staff are being severely put at risk.
“We all know how vulnerable hospitals are to infections, many which can be deadly to those whose health is already depleted.
“This revelation is just adding to the catalogue of the failings of NHS Tayside.
“With its staffing, budgeting and bed-blocking issues, it can ill afford such negative exposure .”