The trade body for Britain’s pest control industry says tackling issues with vermin in hospitals will become a greater challenge due to legislation affecting control methods in the sector.

A recent survey carried out by UNISON has revealed that rats, cockroaches, silverfish, and other pests are a regular hazard in NHS buildings, and that around one in six hospital staff have seen vermin inside their buildings in the past 12 months.

But the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) warns that, without professional access to glue boards as a method of pest control, public health could continue to be put at risk in healthcare environments.

And the trade association says that legislation across the UK in regard to glue board usage significantly hampers their members’ ability to react quickly to pest situations in environments housing vulnerable people.

Glue boards recently came under licence in England, a process which currently has a significant delay on their deployment.

A ban on their use is in place in Wales, and similar legislation in Scotland, is also due to be implemented soon.

A BPCA spokesperson said: “We are calling on the English, Scottish, and Welsh governments to rethink their glue board strategies, to enable our professional members to prevent pests such as rats and mice populating hospital environments and spreading infectious diseases to people.

“BPCA supports a licensing scheme for the use of glue boards, but the current plans in place across the UK are ill thought out and will have a devastating impact on the control of pests in critical environments.

“Glue boards are always a method of last resort, but our members currently have no viable alternative to fast and effective control when public health and safety are at risk.

“Without them, infestations in hospitals could take longer to treat and the risk of the spread of disease, plus the mental health impacts on patients and staff of being in an environment where pests are rife, need to be considered.”