The SNP Government is under pressure to explain why a multinational company hired to dispose of NHS waste was "bailed out" with millions of taxpayers' cash.
Labour said today it proved SNP ministers had failed to implement a sustainable plan to manage Scotland's clinical waste following a previous scandal in 2018 that saw tonnes of human remains left piled up in a warehouse. The collapse of HES left about 300 tonnes of waste at the firm's plant in North Lanarkshire, which took a year to clear.The scandal left NHS bosses scrambling in 2019 to find an alternative company to handle medical waste.
In another incident, Tradebe had proceedings against them for safety failings which led to a major spillage of highly flammable liquid at a site in Knottingley, Yorkshire, in 2013. "The SNP cannot sweep its failures under the carpet any longer. It must explain why the decision was made to spend this money, and open up the books on the contract decision process, so lessons can be learned from this unfortunate saga."
"As a result, these resilience costs were short-lived and ensured the uninterrupted continuation of Scotland's critical clinical waste supply chain achieving best value for NHS Scotland.