Department of Health and Social Care written question – answered at on 17 December 2018.
Norman Lamb
Chair, Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Chair, Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Written Statement of 11 December 2018 on Clinical Waste, Official Report HCWS1168, what assessment he has made of the reasons why clinical waste from NHS trusts was not collected and properly disposed of by Healthcare Environmental Services.
Stephen Hammond
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Environment Agency is currently investigating the reasons as to why the clinical waste was over the permitted levels on a number of sites owned by Healthcare Environment Services, and they have launched criminal investigations into permit breaches by Healthcare Environmental Services.
As of 13 December, all the trusts still holding contracts with Healthcare Environment Services have reported that Healthcare Environment Services have failed to meet scheduled waste collections. NHS Improvement sought assurance from Healthcare Environment Services that it has not ceased trading and will continue to provide services. Such assurance has not been forthcoming and contingency arrangements have therefore been put in place for each of the affected trusts.
Yes2 people think so
No2 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
