The Scottish Government has been urged to improve the condition of North East hospitals after it emerged NHS Grampian has spent almost £270,000 on pest control over the past four years.
New figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives show spending to tackle pests such as rodents, bats, birds, insect infestations, and even a rabbit, has skyrocketed by 119% since 2021.
There were 1,671 separate pest control incidents at sites including Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin, Aberdeen’s Woodend and Cornhill hospitals, Seafield Hospital in Buckie, Aboyne Hospital, Chalmers Hospital in Banff and Turriff Hospital.
Other places where incidents took place included Glen O’Dee Hospital in Banchory, Peterhead and Fraserburgh hospitals, and the Turner Hospital in Keith.
NHS Grampian’s spending to deal with the issue has increased year-on-year, rising from £47,000 in 2021/22 to £103,000 in 2024/25. Between 2023/24 and 2024/25 alone, spending on pest control increased by 53%.
A survey carried out by Unison of NHS workers across the UK, including in Scotland, found that one in six staff have seen vermin in their buildings in the past 12 months, while the same proportion have seen evidence of infestation from silverfish, ants, and cockroaches.
The huge increase in the number of pests comes after the Scottish Government froze all significant NHS building projects in 2024 until at least 2026, saying there was no money available to fund them.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Alexander Burnett, said: “These shocking revelations expose the dire state of our North East hospitals under the SNP’s watch.
“Dedicated NHS staff should not be forced to work in ageing, crumbling infested buildings that are putting the safety of themselves and their patients at risk.
“In people’s hour of need, they should be safe from bugs and rodents roaming around freely in wards.
“These repeated pest control call-outs are costing NHS Grampian a fortune, at a time when it is struggling to keep the lights on as it is.
“This substantial increase come at a time when the Scottish Government shamefully froze all new NHS building projects for two years, which has had a hugely detrimental impact on the North East.
“The Scottish Government must urgently give NHS Grampian the resources it needs to improve the North East estate and to ensure our hospitals are safe and clean.”
