New mums find mice in maternity

A YOUNG mother was horrified to find a breastfeeding room in the Royal Oldham Hospital’s maternity unit had been closed because of a mouse infestation.

The 27-year-old, who does not want to be named, discovered the problem after a fellow patient found she was unable to use the room to feed her newborn baby.

She said: “There were mousetraps in the room. It’s a disgrace.”

The woman, who is pregnant with her third child, added: “Newborn babies are fragile and there are women on the ward who have had Caesarian sections.

“The thought of mice on the ward is disgusting.”

The woman was also concerned about a wheelie bin covered in bird droppings which was left inside the building at the bottom of a flight of stairs leading to the maternity unit.

She said: “Surely these things shouldn’t happen in a hospital where people are worried about getting an infection?”

A spokeswoman for the hospital admitted the breastfeeding room had been closed temporarily because mice had been seen.

She said: “The problem is being dealt with. We do occasionally have problems, particularly in some of our old buildings, and we work closely with environmental health and pest control experts.

“The breastfeeding room has been closed until this is resolved and an alternative area for breastfeeding is being identified.”

She added: “The issue regarding the dirty bin has already been reported and dealt with by staff, and improvements to the bin cleaning service have been agreed, which includes more thorough cleaning prior to bins being returned.”