Hundreds of tonnes of human BODY PARTS has been stockpiled
Hundreds of tonnes of human BODY PARTS and dangerous waste from patients has been stockpiled by a disposal company paid millions to remove them by the NHS
- Healthcare Environment Services Ltd has breached its permits at five sites
- A criminal investigation has been launched, the Environment Agency said
- Amputated limbs and pharmaceutical items are among the piled-up waste
Stephen Matthews Assistant Health Editor For Mailonline
and
Kate Ferguson, Political Correspondent For Mailonline
Human body parts are among hundreds of tonnes of waste from NHS hospitals which have been allowed to pile up by a disposal company.
Healthcare Environment Services Ltd has failed to incinerate the waste within the time limit – meaning it is in breach of its permits at five sites in England.
A criminal investigation has been launched into the debacle, the Environment Agency said.
The Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported that amputated limbs and pharmaceutical waste were among the matter which had been allowed to mount up.
Affected trusts are on standby to follow emergency measures to store their waste at hospitals in specialist trailers – although these plans have not been enacted yet.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock chaired an emergency COBRA meeting last month and ordered £1million to be earmarked to help up to 50 NHS trusts.
But news of the scandal has only broken today. The authorities scrambled to reassure the Britons that there is no risk to public health.
But Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the revelations are ‘staggering’ demanded to know why MPs were not informed about the major incident when it first emerged.
Human body parts are among hundreds of tonnes of waste from NHS hospitals which have been allowed to pile up by a disposal company
He 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 for the future.’
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said there is ‘absolutely no risk’ to public health.
It is believed the waste was stored securely, but was not being processed and disposed of within the correct regulatory timeframes.
The company has a 70 tonne limit at all five sites in England. But at one, excess waste levels had reached 350 tonnes in September.
Healthcare Environment Services said the UK had experienced ‘reduced incineration capacity’ over the last year, which it had repeatedly highlighted to authorities.
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An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: ‘The Environment Agency has found Health Environmental Services 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.’
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.’
Dr Kathy McLean, chief operating officer and executive medical director of NHS improvement said: ‘The NHS has contingency plans in place for clinical waste and patients should be assured that their care will be unaffected.’
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth (file picture) has said the revelations are ‘staggering’ and demanded answers from ministers about it
A spokesman for Healthcare Environmental Services said: ‘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 high-temperature incineration capacity in the market.
‘Over the last year, this reduced incineration capacity has been evident across all of the industry and has affected all companies.’
It added that it had ‘consistently highlighted’ the issue to environmental regulators, and there has been no disruption to services to customers.
HSJ reports the affected trusts were Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole FT, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, and East and North Hertfordshire Trust.
It said they have all been told to stop paying HES for contacts, if their stockpiling has breached the limits.
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