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Health centre shut again in flea scare

Alice McKeegan
27/ 8/2008

A MEDICAL centre will be closed for up to a month in a bid to stop a new infestation of fleas.

Health bosses have revealed that the Walk-in and Dental Access Centre, in Whitehall Street, will be shut from Thursday to allow a deep clean to be carried out.

The move comes less than a fortnight after the clinic was forced to close for three days when a fox crawled under the foundations of the building and died, causing an infestation of fleas.

A spokeswoman for Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust said that the closure of the centre was necessary to ensure the ‘safety and comfort of patients and staff’.

Lesley Mort, executive director of provider and community delivery, said: "As reported last week, we had concerns about a possible infestation of fleas from urban foxes living under the building.

"The building has already been treated and some maintenance work carried out to prevent animals getting under the building, but we want to do everything possible to prevent a repeat.

"So, for the safety and comfort of patients and staff, we will be undertaking further repair and prevention work and taking the opportunity to have a deep clean during the closed period. We apologise for any inconvenience to patients."

The trust confirmed that walk-in and out-of-hours services will be temporarily moved to the A and E department at the Infirmary and emergency dental services will relocate to Baillie Street Health Centre during the closure period.

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen called for a reassurance from the trust that the health of patients would not be compromised by the closure.

He added: "I am surprised that our Walk-in Centre and Dental Access Centre are closed again.

"It is clear that the flea infestation has not been dealt with properly and that is a cause for great concern. This smacks of incompetence and I am afraid it is simply not good enough.

"I will be writing to Trevor Purt, chief executive of our PCT, asking for a reassurance that the health of the people of Rochdale has not been compromised as result of this infestation."

Earlier this month, it was revealed experts were called to tackle pests, including rats, cockroaches and mice, at Rochdale Infirmary and the other three hospitals run by the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, 855 times between January 2006 and March this year.