NHS porter revolt
Fury as untrained staff told to handle waste
Untrained NHS porters have been forced to handle hazardous clinical waste after the collapse of scandal- hit disposal firm Healthcare Environmental Services (HES), a Sunday Mail investigation reveals today.
Hundreds of staff across Scotland have been ordered to deal with bloodied dressings, pads and syringes even though they claim not to have been given the proper training or protective gear to do the job.
The situation has alarmed unions, who have condemned health boards in the Highlands, Ayrshire and Arran, Fife, Forth Valley, Lothian, Grampian and Tayside.
Liz Gordon, regional organiser of the GMB union, said: “This degree of specialist waste handling is not in the porters’ job description but the NHS seem to think the task falls on them.
“I’d question whether they are trained or paid sufficiently to deal with such waste. In my view, this is not contained in their job description – it is specialist material.”
Whistleblowers at Highlands’ f lagship hospital Raigmore claim porters are handling waste bags, then moving to other duties – including delivering meals – without changing their clothing.
Pictures given to the Sunday Mail show piles of bags awaiting removal by porters at the rear of the Inverness hospital. The images show syringes and droppers covered in blood that have spilled from bags and sharps containers.
One whistleblower said: “The situation is horrendous. They are exposed to bags that have burst open. There are all sorts if things inside, such as dressings, blood or items which are simply unidentified.
“Lids are coming off the boxes of sharps to expose what is inside. Porters are being sent back into ward areas, to deliver meals and so on, without the opportunity to shower or change clothing.
“The only protective equipment they were given at first was latex gloves but everyone knew these could be pierced – and it happened.
“Supposed anti- puncture gloves issued have turned out to be gloves you’d use for activities like gardening. They can still be pierced by a needle.” Health boards including Ayrshire and Arran, Fife, Grampian and Tayside confirmed they are also using porters to deal with waste. Others, including Dumfries and
Galloway and Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said outside contractors had been enlisted.
A worker at Raigmore suffered a needle injury moving piles of burst bags containing hazardous materials.
The injured porter, who is in his 30s, sustained the hand injury as he was helping clear bags on December 21. The man now faces an anxious wait for test results to see if he has been infected with any blood viruses.
A source said: “It happened inside a trailer, which takes clinical waste away at the back of the hospital. The porter was moving bags and a needle burst out and stabbed him in the hand.”
Gordon added: “We have now had
members who have been injured and we will be pursuing compensation for anyone who suffers because of this.
“Porters across the areas I cover, from Skye and Fort William to Grampian, are being asked to cover this task.
“We have lots of reports of bags breaking and potential contamination.
“They were all happy to lend a hand and none wanted to see their employers stuck but this is a situation which I believe is going to continue until April and it asks lots of questions of the Scottish Government and their procurement services.”
Private firm HES, run by Garry Pettigrew, formerly collected and disposed of waste from hospitals in Scotland. HES ran into financial difficulties after being stripped of major contracts following build-ups of waste at some sites.
The firm axed 150 staff at their HQ in Shotts, Lanarkshire, on Thursday, blaming unforeseen circumstances.
NHS National Services Scotland said contingency plans for managing clinical waste have been activated across Scotland.Sc A new national waste disposal contract will not begin until April 1.
An NHNHS Highland spokeswoman said they werwere “unable to comment” on the porter’s injury.
She added:ad “Standard protocol for dealing with clinical waste involves wearing disposable aprons and gloves.
“When changing duties from clinical waste to meal delivery, porters are trained aand expected to follow hygiene proce du procedures, including removing personapersonal protective equipment and follow in following hand hygiene procedures.
“PortePorters are handling more clinical waste ththan normal but risk assessments have bebeen carried out and all id en ti fie identified measures from this have been put in place.
“This includes the issuing of puncture-proof gloves. There are clear pathways for staff to raise any concerns they may have.”
Andrew Elliot, head of procurement at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: “Clinical waste is being stored and disposed of appropriately and there is no risk to public health or safety.
“For university hospitals Ayr and Crosshouse, and Ailsa and Ayrshire Central hospitals, waste is being stored in closed containers before disposal by appropriately trained porters.”
NHS Grampian said they are “using trained staff to process waste”. A spokeswoman said those involved were “designated as porters but work in waste management”.
NHS Tayside said: “Portering staff are supporting our contingency arrangements, which are working well with no adverse impact to our services.” A spokesman for NHS Fife said: “Portering staff are helping support contingency operations.”
NHS Lothian said: “Portering staff are supporting our contingency arrangements.”
NHS Forth Valley added: “Porters at Forth Valley Royal Hospital are following national guidelines to remove clinical waste from wards to closed containers. All health and safety regulations have been put in place and there is no risk to public and patients.”
An NHS National Services Scotland spokeswoman said: “We have issued guidance to health boards on contingency arrangements and standardising procedures where possible. “However, some local variation will also be required.
“Each health board is responsible for their own waste management and NSS continue to work with all boards to support the delivery of contingency arrangements.
“Contingency plans include the provision of waste management services until the new national healthcare waste management contract commences on April 1.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are working closely with National Services Scotland (NSS) and SEPA on this matter.
“NSS have clear, robust contingency arrangements in place to ensure all NHS Scotland services to the public are maintained. The contingency plans include the provision of waste management services until the new national healthcare waste management contract commences.”
The porter was moving bags and a needle burst out and stabbed him