Lib Dems are demanding assurances over hospital cleanliness after it emerged that Pennine Accute NHS Hospitals were visited 855 times by pest control officers in just over 2 years to deal with insect and pest infestations.

Pennine Acute NHS Trust covers both Fairfield Hospital and North Manchester as well as hospitals in Oldham and Rochdale.

Pennite Acute came 4th highest on a national list of 89 hospital trusts that had received more than 50 visits between January 2006 and March 2008.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem, Parliamentary spokesperson for Bury South said, “This is absolutely appalling. Patients and their families need to have the utmost confidence that treatment and operations are being undertaken in a clean, pest free environment. This once again raises questions about the privatisation of ancillary and cleaning services in the NHS and whether the stringent budget controls imposed by Labour are affecting hygiene and cleanliness.  “These statistics amount to 30 pest control visits per month or 360 per year. It’s a good job they don’t run restaurants – they’d be closed down!““I will be calling on Pennine Acute to make public details of these pest control visits and to explain what actions they are taking to deal with the problem. They need to offer assurances that this issue is both under control and being dealt with.