Hospitals across Scotland have spent an eye-watering £4.3 million over the past five years on pest control, addressing infestations ranging from rats and mice to maggots and cockroaches, according to newly released figures.
Almost half of the total expenditure was incurred by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the largest health board in Scotland, which accounted for £2.1 million of the spending.
The board handled 61 callouts for ants and 33 for rodents in city hospitals during just the first four months of 2024.
Data obtained through freedom of information requests by Scottish Labour highlights a nationwide struggle with pest control, with health boards facing challenges such as dead birds, bed bugs, and rodent infestations.
NHS Highland reported finding a mouse nest in a nurse’s quarters, a rat infestation at a doctor’s home, and extensive mice droppings in a dental unit in Fort William.
Other incidents included maggots, cockroaches, and squirrels in NHS Lothian, as well as rats, mice, and a dead bird in NHS Forth Valley.
In NHS Ayrshire and Arran, reports included ants in a maternity ward, maggots in a dining area, and a mouse in an x-ray waiting room, contributing to a £170,366 bill.
Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, urged the Scottish Government to prioritise investment in the NHS estate, warning that these figures reflect an ongoing struggle to ensure hospitals and clinics remain safe and sanitary.
Health Board Spending Breakdown
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: £2.1 million (2019-2024)
- NHS Ayrshire and Arran: £170,366
- NHS Borders: £90,386 (18 ant callouts in 2024; 12 wasps in 2023-24)
- NHS Dumfries and Galloway: £105,964 (including a dead rabbit on a mental health building patio)
- NHS Fife: £286,188 (biting insects, rodents, and birds)
- NHS Lanarkshire: £729,221 (including fly infestations)
- NHS Orkney: £13,286 (mice, birds, and rats)
- NHS Western Isles: £9,335 (wasps and bluebottles)
- NHS Shetland: £18,000 (details unspecified)
- NHS Tayside: £73,432 (wasps in a blood sciences lab and mice in a ward)
Dame Jackie added, “These figures paint a stark picture of a constant battle to keep Scotland’s deteriorating hospitals free of pests. The UK Labour government delivered record NHS capital budgets, and the SNP must ensure every penny is spent improving healthcare facilities.”
The Scottish Government countered by highlighting its commitment to health and social care, pledging a record £21 billion for the sector in the 2025-26 budget, including over £1 billion for capital investment.
A government spokesman stated, “Our 2025-26 draft Budget sets aside unprecedented funding for health and social care, supporting vital infrastructure improvements and a transformative health capital programme.”
With patients and staff depending on safe and sanitary environments, the call for robust investment in NHS infrastructure is growing louder.
