The UK government formed emergency plans after it learned that a healthcare waste management company had stockpiled hundreds of tonnes of toxic waste and body parts — some of which was stored in fridges — due to a backlog caused by incinerator problems.
Healthcare Environmental Sevices (HES) collected waste including amputated limbs, infectious liquids, and "cytotoxic waste linked to cancer treatment", the Health Service Journal magazine reported on Thursday, citing leaked NHS England documents.
At just one site in Normanton in West Yorkshire, the excess waste had reached 350 tonnes — five times the site's 70-tonne limit, the HSJ reported. This waste, which is being kept in fridges, includes body parts.
The problem was considered so serious that health secretary Matt Hancock last month chaired a meeting of Cobra, the UK's emergency response committee, where it was decided that payments of £1 million would be given to 50 NHS trusts in the event of HES going bust. According to the HSJ, the government has also drawn up an emergency plan for NHS trusts to store waste in trailers if necessary.
The magazine reported that the Environment Agency has previously given HES numerous warnings for not disposing of waste within the required time limit.
HES said in a statement that the problem had been caused by a lack of incinerators to get rid of the waste.
"Healthcare Environmental has highlighted the reduction in the UK’s high-temperature incineration capacity for the last few years," it said.
"This is down to the ageing infrastructure, prolonged breakdowns, and the reliance on zero waste to landfill policies, taking up the limited high-temperature incineration capacity in the market."
The company added that it had been able to carry on collecting waste as normal and was looking for ways to reduce the backlog.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: "There is absolutely no risk to the health of patients or the wider public. We are monitoring the situation closely and have made sure that public services — including NHS trusts have contingency plans in place."