After the bugs of France, rats invade Britain

Weather of Arabia - As if the bed bug outbreak crisis was not enough to increase the anxiety of the British, a new crisis has arisen on the scene, this time related to rats.

According to a report published by the Telegraph newspaper, it shows that some hospitals affiliated with the National Health Service are calling on workers specialized in eliminating insects on an almost daily basis as a result of an outbreak of rats and mice in a number of old buildings.

Data published in the British newspaper indicates that “Barts Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,” which includes four locations in London, received 277 phone calls during 2022 regarding complaints related to rodent problems.

Mice spread in several places

There has been a rodent problem at several British universities and hospitals, including King's College, Imperial College, the University of East Kent, the University of Manchester, the University of Oxford, Guy's & St Thomas, Hull and East Yorkshire, and Moorfields Eye Hospital.

The number of call-outs to deal with the rat problem exceeded 120 at the time of the outbreak, but no data is available for fifteen sites; Due to problems in data collection or contracts to facilitate services that do not require recording of previous calls.

Reports include spotting rodents and their droppings in cafes and restaurants, seeing them in wards, finding a dead rat in a medical clinic, rats being seen wandering around the reception desk in the maternity ward, rats being discovered in a pharmacy, dead rats being found in theaters, and a rat being spotted in an X-ray room. .

A spokesman for Bart's Health NHS Trust said:

“We take the health and safety of our patients, staff and visitors very seriously, and these numbers demonstrate our proactive approach in ensuring that all sightings of any type of rodent activity are recorded and dealt with effectively. We provide training to all our staff on how to identify potential rodent activity, how to arrange for immediate removal and preventive measures.” Our dedicated call-out contractor is available 24/7.”

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices , a group for seniors, noted that there is an urgent need for clean and sterile infrastructure in hospitals, as a clean environment must be maintained for the health of patients. And he said:

“It's no good having world-class medical facilities and specialist doctors if you have a building infested with rats and rodents.”

It is worth noting that Barts is one of the most prominent medical institutions in the British capital, and is the headquarters of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in the city of London. This hospital is considered one of the oldest hospitals in England, as it was established about 900 years ago.

Despite the hospital's storied history, historic buildings dating back to ancient times have been found to have persistent problems with rat infestations. Based on data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, 2022 was the worst year for rats at Barts Hospital in six years. Every year since 2017, more than 100 calls have been logged dealing with rodent problems.

On the other hand, King's College Trust Hospital in London was exposed to many calls, rising from 175 calls in 2021 to 273 calls in 2022, and Imperial Hospital, which is also located in London, was the third hospital most affected by the rat problem in 2022, as 247 calls were recorded, which is the lowest number of calls in six years, although more than 400 calls were recorded in 2017.

For Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, there were 120 calls recorded in 2022, reflecting the worsening problem over recent years.

Based on NHS data on rodent recalls from 2017 to 2022, there is an increase in rat challenges in UK hospitals.

Also know:

Bedbugs cause panic in France

Bed bugs, signs of their presence and how to get rid of them

Sources:

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