Scandal of hospital body parts left to rot
Criminal investigation launched after dangerous materials from hospitals stockpiled across the UK
Hundreds of tons of human body parts and toxic waste from NHS hospitals have been left to rot. A criminal investigation has been launched after infectious liquids and other dangerous materials from hospitals were found to have been stockpiled. Leaked memos reveal that amputated limbs, infectious liquids, refuse from cancer treatment and other hazardous materials were allowed to build up at five waste-handling sites run by Healthcare Environmental Services.
HUNDREDS of tons of human body parts and toxic waste from NHS hospitals have been left to rot across the country.
A criminal investigation has been launched, and a meeting of the Government’s Cobra committee held, after infectious liquids and other dangerous materials from hospitals were found to have been stockpiled.
Leaked memos reveal that amputated limbs, infectious liquids, refuse from cancer treatment and other hazardous materials were allowed to build up at five waste handling sites run by Healthcare Environmental Services (HES).
The failings led Matt Hancock, the Health and Social Care Secretary, to chair a Cobra meeting last month, during which he ordered £1million to be set aside to help solve the problem.
NHS England documents, leaked to the Health Service Journal, reveal the failings, which triggered concern from the Environment Agency. A spokesman said: “The Environment Agency has found HES to be in breach of its environmental permits at five sites which deal with clinical waste.
“We are taking enforcement action against the operator, which includes clearance of the excess waste, and have launched a criminal investigation. We are supporting the Government and the NHS to ensure there is no disruption to public services and for alternative plans to be put in place for hospitals affected to dispose of their waste safely.”
It is believed the waste should have been incinerated or decontaminated far more quickly.
A spokesman for the company told The Daily Telegraph: “Healthcare Environmental has highlighted the reduction in the UK’S high-temperature incineration capacity for the last few years. This is down to the ageing infrastructure, prolonged breakdowns and the reliance on zero waste to landfill policies, taking up the limited hightemperature incineration capacity in the market.”
A Government spokesman said: “We are monitoring the situation closely and have made sure that public services – including NHS Trusts – have contingency plans in place. There is absolutely no risk to the health of patients or the wider public.
“Our priority is to prevent disruption to the NHS and other vital public services and work is under way to ensure organisations can continue to dispose of their waste safely and efficiently.”
At one site in Normanton, West Yorkshire, excess waste levels had reached 350 tons in September, five times more than the company’s 70 ton limit. The anatomical waste, made up of human body parts and surgical waste, has now been placed in fridges.
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health and social care secretary, said: “These are staggering revelations and given the number of NHS Trusts involved, along with wider environmental health implications, I’m disappointed the Health Secretary didn’t inform Parliament last month.
“We need a statement in the Commons next week from ministers detailing when the Government was first informed of this stockpiling, what support is now available to Trusts and what contingency plans are in place.”
‘We are monitoring the situation closely. There is no risk to the health of patients or the wider public’