The Challenge of Tackling Pests in Hospitals

The trade body for Britain’s pest control industry says tackling issues with vermin in hospitals will become a greater challenge, due to legislation affecting control methods in the sector.

A new survey carried out by UNISON has revealed that rats, cockroaches, silverfish and other pests are a regular hazard in NHS buildings, and that around one in six hospital staff have seen vermin inside their buildings in the past 12 months.

We are calling on the English, Scottish and Welsh governments to rethink their glue board strategies…

British Pest Control Association (BPCA) says that without professional access to glue boards as a method of pest control, public health could continue to be put at risk in healthcare environments.

The trade association says that legislation across the UK in regard to glue board usage significantly hampers their members’ ability to react quickly to pest situations in environments with vulnerable people.

Glue boards recently came under licence in England, a process which currently has a significant delay on their deployment.  A ban on their use is in place in Wales and similar legislation in Scotland is due to be implemented soon.

A BPCA spokesperson, says: “We are calling on the English, Scottish and Welsh governments to rethink their glue board strategies, to enable our professional members to prevent pests such as rats and mice populating hospital environments and spreading infectious diseases to people (zoonosis).

“BPCA supports a licensing scheme for the use of glue boards, but the current plans in place across the UK are ill-thought-out and will have a devastating impact on the control of pests in critical environments.

“Glue boards are always a method of last resort, but our members currently have no viable alternative to fast and effective control when public health and safety are at risk.

“Without them, infestations in hospitals could take longer to treat and the risk of the spread of disease, plus the mental health impacts on patients and staff of being in an environment where pests are rife, need to be considered.”

The UNISON report can be found at unison.org.uk/news/2025/04/rats-and-other-pests-all-too-common-in-crumbling-nhs-buildings-warns-unison-survey/

BPCA member businesses:

• Are endorsed by the Government via the TrustMark quality scheme
• Carry the correct insurances.
• Are trained and qualified technicians.
• Are assessed to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636
• Follow BPCA’s Codes of Best Practice.