Healthcare Waste Disposal (Hansard, 8 July 1999)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)
My Lords, there are stringent controls in place to ensure that healthcare waste is disposed of satisfactorily. Under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 healthcare waste must be disposed of under a waste management licence issued by the Environment Agencies. The purpose of a licence is to ensure that waste is disposed of in ways which protect the environment and human health. Contravention of licence conditions is a criminal offence.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Does he accept that material which has been in contact with body fluids or patients' wounds is especially dangerous waste and that sharps—that is, blades and needles—are the most dangerous? As the best healthcare waste management involves minimisation, segregation and isolation, can he tell us what proportion of National Health waste is disposed of on site where these materials have been used?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I cannot give the total figures but largely as a result of improved segregation techniques there has been a substantial reduction in the total amount of clinical waste—from 128,000 tonnes to just over 100,000 tonnes over the past three years—which is disposed of under these regulations.

§ Lord Clement-Jones
My Lords, the Minister mentioned the stringent controls with regard to healthcare waste. However, I am sure he is aware of a major national investigation that has been conducted by the police and the Environment Agency into the activities of a major healthcare waste disposal contractor. Can he tell us a little more about the activities of the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive with regard to issuing new guidance on healthcare waste disposal, which has not been updated since 1992?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I cannot comment on individual cases. Continuous work is carried out by both the Environment Agency and by the Health and Safety Agency in relation to the handling and transportation of clinical waste. A number of specific codes have been issued which address particular problems. For example, last year a code was issued by the NHS on clinical waste disposal treatments and technology as alternatives to 1021 incineration; the previous year we issued Healthcare in waste management—segregation of waste streams in clinical areas, which addressed the segregation problem to which the noble Baroness referred. So there has been quite a lot of additional guidance recently.

Viscount Addison
My Lords, can the Minister say how many breaches of these standards have been committed in the last year? Is he satisfied that there are enough inspectors?

§ Lord Whitty
No, my Lords. There are a number of different agencies—the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Agency and the NHS—and I cannot give an aggregate figure.

§ Lord Dixon-Smith
My Lords, I am sure the Minister will agree that the proper disposal of waste is entirely dependent upon meticulous and detailed management. The least hazardous and most cost effective way of disposing of healthcare waste is on-site. If that can be done it reduces the management risk. However, many hospitals still have their clinical waste removed. Can the Minister say what is the cost of that removal to the National Health Service? Can he give any indication of how long it will be before hospitals in general have their own disposal facilities?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, the short answer to the noble Lord's questions is that I cannot give that information. The noble Lord is exaggerating the problem. A fair amount of clinical waste can be disposed of relatively easily externally to the place of creation provided that care is taken and the codes are followed. Toxic or otherwise dangerous waste—which is a relatively small proportion of total healthcare waste—is covered by tighter regulations under the Special Waste Regulations 1996. Clearly hospitals, health centres and those who deal with that kind of waste must observe special precautions. However, a fair amount of the total clinical waste is not of that level of danger.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, is the Minister aware of the serious problem of healthcare material being misused by drug addicts and then thrown onto the ground in local authority areas throughout most of the country? Children are at particular risk because the needles and syringes have a fascination for them. What controls are there, or could there be, to deal with this problem? It does not really fit into any of the official methods of disposal.

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness. Syringes, cartridges and other carriers of drugs are, regrettably, often disposed of irresponsibly and completely outside the waste disposal system. The only control is effective local authority waste disposal. Inevitably some things slip through. It is a problem which local authorities are well aware of.