MORE hospital patients are being exposed to rotting rats, raw sewage and dilapidated buildings, Unison research has revealed.

The union’s survey of more than 19,000 NHS staff showed that leaking sewage, rats and insect infestations were widespread in their workplaces.

Staff and patients are also often left without access to clean toilets.

One NHS worker told their union that dead rats had been found rotting in an aircon unit. 

Another revealed they and colleagues were bitten relentlessly by fleas as they worked, and the situation was worse for those on the night shift.

The findings are being released at Unison’s annual national conference in Brighton today.

Unison’s head of health Helga Pile said: “No patient should be cared for in filthy, insanitary and unsafe conditions.

“Staff shouldn’t have to work in such shocking surroundings either.

“This survey demonstrates how lack of funding has left the NHS estate in a dreadful mess. Hospitals should make people better, not expose them to harm from rotting rats, raw sewage and dilapidated buildings.

“Recent cuts to staffing and maintenance budgets are adding to the long-term effects of underfunding.

“To use scarce resources patching up ceilings and doing other short-term fixes to protect patients isn’t good enough.”

About one in seven respondents said they have been aware of vermin inside their workplaces within the past year and a similar number reported other infestations such as silverfish, ants, bedbugs and cockroaches.

Nearly three in 10 of those surveyed said that conditions in their place of work had worsened over the past year.

Almost two thirds said they remained the same and only 7 per cent had noticed an improvement. 

The union said its survey revealed a concerning snapshot of a “dangerous and dilapidated” NHS estate.

About one in seven of those polled said they believe their place of work is unsafe because of the physical state of buildings.

The findings also include examples of buckets on floors to catch leaking water, sewage leaks, public toilets in hospitals out of order for extended periods and staff toilets described as unusable.

One in 20 health service workers surveyed reported asbestos had been discovered in their workplace.

Almost one in three said conditions in their place of work had worsened over the past year.

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.