I am deeply concerned that company Healthcare Environment Services (HES) has been found to have not properly stored or disposed of hundreds of tonnes of hospital waste, including body parts. The Environment Agency has now launched a criminal investigation into HES, after finding the firm was in breach of environmental safety limits at four sites around the country. 15 NHS Trusts have now terminated their contracts with HES.
On 9th October, I asked the Health Minister what financial penalty HES would face because of its gross incompetence. Serious questions remain about how this backlog was allowed to build up and why nothing was done to address this problem sooner.
