Hospital refutes 'pest problem'

A Devon health trust has objected to its inclusion in a list of NHS hospitals which have called in pest control experts.

The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital said it "strongly refuted" any suggestion it had a pest problem.

Figures from the Conservatives show 70% of NHS trusts brought in pest controllers at least 50 times between January 2006 and March 2008.

The hospital did admit investigating reports of mice, ants, flies and moths.

A statement from Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust said: "The Royal Devon & Exeter hospital does not have a pest control problem and at no time has the safety or health of our patients, visitors or staff been compromised.

"It is disappointing that the pro-active approach of our staff to report any suspicions and routine regular inspections by a contracted company could be interpreted as being anything other than positive and responsible site management."

North Devon Healthcare NHS trust, in Barnstaple, was mentioned in the report for having a case of a mouse in casualty.

A spokeswoman for the hospital told the BBC: "We are a rural hospital. It was actually a field mouse which ran in because the next door farmer was ploughing his field.

"We found it and got it out. We can't necessarily stop pests, but when we do find them we deal with them."

Some hospitals chose not to respond to the freedom of information request from the Conservative party and are therefore not included in the figures.