NHS Grampian has splashed out more than £340,000 on pest control over the last four years, the Press and Journal can reveal.
Official figures show the health board had to spend the cash to deal with more than 1,200 incidents on their vast estate.
The highest cost came in 2017/18 with more than £178,000 being spent on 335 incidents.
There were 414 pest incidents in 2018/19 with the total spent on those measures coming in at £122,025.69.
The health board has more than 90 properties in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray which cover a combined 4,100sq ft. Bosses say a lot of the factors when it comes to dealing with pests are “outwith” their control.
Last night, North East MSP Peter Chapman said the issue was a result of underfunding, and that the problem was heaping pressure on the health board.
“This is costing NHS Grampian a fortune at a time when it is struggling to keep the lights on as it is,” he said.
“By the Scottish Government’s own reckoning, it has underfunded the board for a decade. That’s a shortfall of £239 million. Of course there will be repercussions from that.
“Our hard-working NHS staff are being forced to do more with much less than they need.”
Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead said people across the region will be relieved that health chiefs are tackling any issues head on.
He said: “I expect that the public will be reassured that the health board takes hygiene and pest control seriously in order to minimise the risk of infections.
“NHS Grampian has responsibility for a number of hospitals and this spend is only a very small fraction of its overall budget, however, it does show the need to ensure we have a modern estate for the delivery of health services in the region.”
A spokesman for NHS Grampian said they have a team of pest control experts covering the estate.
He said the increased costs in the last two years came as a result of installing new prevention systems and that can vary depending on what measures are needed.
The spokesman said: “It is worth noting that many of the factors which affect the prevalence of pests are outwith NHS Grampian’s control – for example drier weather and higher temperatures, which we have experience the last few years, will increase the number of certain pests.
“We aim to keep all areas as free as is reasonably practical from pests but our range of premise and grounds – from hospitals, to car parks, to outdoor grassy areas – can provide an inviting environment for these unwanted guests.”
