Hospital Sewage

We are all aware of the sad state of the NHS today, as it lumbers from one crisis to another. Yet an issue that has been ignored is the significant underinvestment in the actual physical structure of hospitals. Many will remember the Conservative election pledge by Johnson and others to build 40 new hospitals. Where are they? Nowhere. But more to the point the current hospitals are crumbling before our eyes.

One statistic is telling. Freedom of Information requests to NHS trusts highlighted 456 sewage leaks last year. As only 55 bothered to reply, this suggests the scale of the problem is much greater. The cost of overdue maintenance in the NHS estate is now more than £10 billion. Sewage leaks have made some departments unsafe and led to many NHS staff struggling to work because of headaches and nausea. Alarming examples of sewage leaking has been found in cancer wards, maternity units and A&E departments.

Aside from the decline of hospital infrastructures, why is this important? Nine out of 10 NHS trusts report the lack of capital investment is undermining efforts to reduce waiting lists and putting patient safety at risk. Demand better. Hospitals should be places of safety, not risk caused by bad maintenance.