THE Scottish executive has been told to make hospital kitchens safe after health inspectors uncovered dozens of breaches of hygiene laws.

Local authority reports, obtained by The Sunday Times under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal a catalogue of unsanitary and often dangerous conditions. Inspectors discovered:

• Infestations of cockroaches, mice and insects, including sewage flies;
• Out-of-date food that could endanger the health of vulnerable patients;
• Food being stored at temperatures that could lead to food poisoning;
• Cooked and raw foods stored together, allowing possible cross-contamination by dangerous bacteria.

  Inappropriate storage of food was implicated in Scotland’s worst food poisoning outbreak in 1996 when 21 people died after eating food from a butcher’s shop in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, that was contaminated with E-coli 0157.

  Opposition politicians have demanded an urgent inquiry by Andy Kerr, the health minister. They say patients’ health is at risk.

  Shona Robison, the SNP health spokeswoman, said: “It is completely unacceptable that such serious hygiene breaches have been found in so many hospitals.

  “Vulnerable patients, who should receive the best food prepared in the cleanest environment, have been put at risk.

  “The executive must look at whether a more strict monitoring regime should be put in place to ensure hospital kitchens are kept clean all the time.”

  In February the kitchen of Western General hospital in Edinburgh was threatened with closure following an infestation of cockroaches. Staff were given two weeks to deal with the problem.

  At Astley Ainslie hospital, also in the capital, inspectors found “nesting material” from mice in the dining room and droppings in the kitchen.

  In October, Dykebar hospital, in Paisley, was reprimanded over a “recurring” problem with sewage flies crawling through a ventilation grille into the dining area.

  In the same month the children’s ward at Royal Alexandria hospital, in Paisley, was criticised after out-of-date food was found in a fridge.

  The inspector warned: “I do not need to remind you of the potential outcome of feeding microbiological unsafe foods to an immuno- suppressed child.”

  A hygiene report for the hospital’s central unit, which produces patients’ food, said “temperature abuse” was one of the biggest risks associated with chilled foods — yet a walk-in chill unit and freezer were broken.

  “It is incredible that these units have been allowed to remain in a state of disrepair for six weeks,” said the report.

  In May 2003 a report criticised the Ian Charles hospital at Grantown-on-Spey over the hazard of storing raw bacon next to ready-to-eat foods.

  An inspection of Raigmore hospital in Inverness in January 2004 revealed that insects were thriving in the kitchen. The report stated: “There are flying pests and the present methods of preventing this are wholly inadequate.”

  In March 2004 Ross Memorial hospital, in Dingwall, was criticised for storing raw meat, fish and poultry together in ideal conditions for crosscontamination to occur. A tray of raw eggs was stored above ready-to-eat foods.

  Haylodge hospital, at Peebles in the Borders, was warned in September 2003 that the temperature in a food display unit was too high and likely to encourage the growth of food poisoning bacteria and toxins.

  Hugh Pennington, an emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen university, said he blamed poor staff training for the high number of hygiene law breaches. “You don’t expect this in hospitals where there’s a premium on serving safe food to patients,” he said. “It’s a high-risk environment and there’s no excuse for having these problems.”

  All the health boards said they had remedied complaints highlighted in the reports.

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