A Freedom of Information request has revealed that Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, required pest control assistance more than 350 times between 2021 and 2024, with rats, mice and fleas among the recurring problems. Data released by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which oversees healthcare across north Wales, showed that several other hospitals in the region also logged hundreds of callouts related to vermin, insects and birds during the same period.
The health board, currently operating under the highest level of Welsh Government oversight, said pest management continues to be handled as part of routine operations. Under existing contracts, every hospital in north Wales receives eight scheduled pest control visits annually, and the figures obtained through the FOI request reflect callouts made in addition to those routine visits.
How bad was the problem at Glan Clwyd?
At Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, additional callouts totalled 91 in 2021, 92 in 2022, 131 in 2023 and 45 in 2024. The roughly 466-bed district general hospital also dealt with ants, flies, birds and wasps alongside its rodent and flea issues.
Earlier in 2026, rats were discovered after apparently gnawing through walls at a pre-operation assessment clinic used by patients preparing for surgery.
Which other hospitals were affected?
Wrexham hospital recorded 314 additional pest control callouts across the same four-year span, with rats, flies, wasps, gulls and pigeons all cited as recurring issues. Its yearly breakdown showed 149 callouts in 2021, 102 in 2022, 45 in 2023 and 18 in 2024.
Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor logged 127 callouts over the period, dealing with ants, gulls, flies, wasps, pigeons, rats and mice. The annual figures there were 26 in 2021, 42 in 2022, 36 in 2023 and 23 in 2024.
Among the smaller hospitals, Abergele Hospital had the highest total, with 106 callouts over the four years. It was followed by Bryn y Neuadd with 93, Llandudno with 91, Rhyl Alexandra Hospital with 70 and Colwyn Bay with 51.
What has the health board said?
Stuart Keen, director of environment and estates for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said pest control arrangements continue to be managed routinely.
However, given the size and complexity of our hospital sites, particularly those in rural locations surrounded by open land, occasional pest sightings can occur despite ongoing prevention and monitoring measures.
We have clear procedures in place to respond promptly and effectively whenever issues are identified.
He added that the rat sightings reported earlier in 2026 within the Ivor Lewis Building at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd had been resolved.
Regarding the small number of rat sightings within the Ivor Lewis Building at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd earlier this year, following rapid remedial works we have had no further incidents reported.
Is this a new problem for north Wales hospitals?
Pest issues at these sites are not new. An earlier report found that north Wales hospitals recorded 453 pest control callouts between 2014 and March 2019, with Wrexham Maelor Hospital accounting for the largest share of those incidents, according to a national broadcaster's earlier report. That same report noted that Swansea Bay health board in south Wales did not track callout numbers separately, since its pest control contract already included eight preventative visits a year plus additional visits whenever required.
The pest control challenge sits alongside broader estate maintenance pressures facing the Welsh NHS. According to our earlier coverage of NHS Wales' maintenance backlog, health boards across the country are grappling with nearly £1bn in outstanding repairs, a factor that can complicate efforts to prevent pest infestations in ageing buildings.
How do standards elsewhere compare?
National guidance for healthcare settings in England sets out formal standards for pest management, including requirements for planned, ongoing pest-control arrangements rather than reactive callouts alone, according to NHS England's cleanliness standards guidance. This suggests the balance between scheduled prevention and emergency response seen in north Wales reflects a wider issue across healthcare estates.
Key Facts
- Ysbyty Glan Clwyd recorded 359 additional pest control callouts between 2021 and 2024.
- Wrexham hospital recorded 314 callouts, Ysbyty Gwynedd 127, over the same period.
- All north Wales hospitals are contracted for eight routine pest control visits per year.
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board remains under the highest level of Welsh Government oversight.
- An earlier report found 453 callouts across north Wales hospitals between 2014 and March 2019.
