Ward of the flies

07 November 2007

A GERM-CARRYING fly invasion has caused chaos in Newham with swarms badly affecting Newham General Hospital, the Gateway Surgical and walk-in centres, schools and large numbers of homes.

Operations were postponed after flies got into theatre, sick patients were moved, and flies were crawling on new-borns.

Children were affected too. A school sent pupils home with no lunch as a canteen was forced to close and fly spray has been selling out, the Recorder has discovered.

We have been inundated with calls from angry and disgusted readers describing the "horrendous", "appalling", "totally unbelievable", "outrageous" and "absolutely disgusting" horror story. Maggots were found on a ward area.

The fly infestation began weeks ago at Newham General Hospital - where a mice invasion in January this year caused a ward to close after one of the rodents got in bed with a patient and crawled up her leg, as we exclusively reported at the time.

Now, as then, Newham's Environmental Health team were called to help fight the invaders.

Areas throughout the entire hospital have been hit, including those with patients who are particularly vulnerable and very sick, along with those who have open wounds, including patients in the accident and emergency department as well as the maternity areas containing newborn babies.

The hospital said they have been doing and continue to do all they can to combat the problem.

Full exclusive story by Susan Smith in this week's Recorder