From rats to sewage leaks: NHS staff expose reality inside UK hospitals
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NHS staff lift the lid on filthy conditions at hospitals
- A Unison survey of nearly 9,000 NHS workers reveals a state of disrepair in UK hospitals, including infestations of disease-carrying pests like rats, cockroaches, and silverfish.
- Alongside pest issues, staff reported sewage leaks, faulty lighting, broken toilets, and decaying ceilings, raising concerns about hygiene and safety.
- Seventeen per cent of staff expressed concerns about the safety of their workplace buildings. One in six reported seeing vermin, and a similar number reported insect infestations.
- Unison's head of health, Helga Pile, has called for immediate funding to address the "crumbling Dickensian relic" of the NHS and prevent further deterioration of patient care.
- NHS Providers' interim chief executive has echoed those concerns, emphasising the risks to patient and staff safety posed by dilapidated facilities and the financial strain of addressing those issues.