Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the better control of vermin and pests on the NHS estate.

Decisions about how cleaning is managed and delivered on the National Health Service estate in England are made locally.

Hospitals must have an effective local pest control policy to ensure that buildings are kept clean and safe for patients. Patient satisfaction with the cleanliness of hospital wards, toilets and bathrooms is measured via the Care Quality Commission’s in-patient and accident and emergency department surveys.

Cleanliness is also measured via Patient Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE). The aim of PLACE is to provide a snapshot of how an organisation is performing against a range of non-clinical activities that impact on the patient experience of care. The assessment of cleanliness covers all items commonly found in healthcare premises including patient equipment; baths, toilets and showers; furniture and other fixtures and fittings.