The internal inquiry, which has recently come to light, focuses on Salford Royal Hospital. According to reports, certain employees have been delivering large trade bins from the hospital to various businesses and private addresses.
Once these bins are filled with rubbish and waste, it is alleged that they are brought back to the hospital and emptied into a compactor. The staff members involved are said to have charged a fee for this service, pocketing the proceeds for themselves.
Andrew Montgomery, Deputy Director of Estates, Facilities, and Capital Development at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees the hospital, acknowledged the allegations, saying: “We are aware of these allegations and have an internal investigation underway.”
One source at the hospital said: “The investigation has been going on for a while but has been kept quiet. It is completely wrong what has been happening and would have an impact on patient care as those involved are not at the hospital doing what they should be doing. It is a massive fiddle and has apparently been going on for years.
“The trade bins are distributed to businesses and private addresses – people are charged for them – then they are picked up and driven back to the compactor at the hospital. It is claimed thousands of pounds have been made this way.”
Salford Royal Hospital, located on Stott Lane, is a prominent university teaching hospital boasting 728 beds. However, in December, it was one of three hospitals in Greater Manchester that received criticism from inspectors for understaffing issues, particularly in the Accident and Emergency department.
Inspectors described the urgent and emergency services in Salford and Bury as “cluttered and overcrowded,” with some patients even being accommodated in corridors. The report by the Care Quality Commission, which followed unannounced inspections in August and September, highlighted the insufficient staffing levels at Salford Royal and Royal Oldham, compromising patient care and safety.
This evaluation came a year after the formation of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust, which occurred when Salford Royal legally acquired the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to the acquisition, the two trusts had been rated as outstanding and good, respectively.
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