Nottingham University Hospitals has said it will end a multi-million pound private contract with a cleaning company at the centre of allegations over ‘filthy’ wards.
The trust announced on Wednesday that it will return a £200m estates and facilities contract to NHS control after “several rigorous interventions” failed to bring cleanliness back up to standard.
The Trust earlier claimed it left the contract by mutual agreement with outsourcing giant Carillion.
But a statement sent to The Huffington Post UK said: “After implementing several rigorous interventions in 2016, serious concerns remain about the cleanliness and other services which Carillion are presently responsible for delivering.
“The NUH Board therefore decided that different arrangements for the delivery of E&F Services needed to be considered.”
Carillion has yet to comment further.
“.. serious concerns remain about the cleanliness and other services which Carillion are presently responsible for”
- Nottingham University Hospitals Trust
Around 1,500 Carillion employees will now be transferred to the NHS at both the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital.
These are thought to include grounds staff, cleaners and maintenance workers.
Announcing the move, Peter Homa, NUH Chief Executive, said: “The Trust will require a period of time to assess and action what is required to take forward these essential services and deliver the highest level of service to our patients and front line staff.”
The process will be completed by 1 April.
Last year, The Nottingham Post reported allegations of poor hygiene in Carillion maintained wards - claims the firm has denied.
Two former employees of the firm told the Post they saw infectious waste overflowing on a children’s ward, A&E facilities caked in “grime”, and “bin juice” flowing into corridors.
Carillion was responsible for cleaning at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) sites.
Lewis Grift and partner Leah White both claimed they worked for the company before being dismissed for taking four days sick leave.
They said training was poor and equipment often unusable.
Grift said: “You’re trying to clean an entire ward on your own and that’s when it becomes hard. I have got a massive list of what I was supposed to do, you can’t do it in six hours. It’s impossible.”
White said: “It’s extremely unprofessional. I have never known a company to be so disorganised.”
But at the time, Carillion responded: “We refute the claims that staff have had a lack of equipment or lack of training, particularly in the use of cleaning products. We ensure that staff receive the appropriate training and we do not compromise on Health and Safety.
“We also deny the claims that areas of the hospital are “filthy”.
On its website, Carillion boasts: “Over the past 15 years we have developed a significant presence in the healthcare market.
“In the UK we are a leading provider to the National Health Service and we are associated with some of the country’s largest and most prestigious NHS Trusts who rely on us to deliver services that are critical for the safe care of over three million patients each year.”
The firm, which also runs construction and financial services in Britain, had a revenue of £3.3bn in the UK in 2015.
The Huffington Post UK has contacted Carillion for further comment.