HEALTH service cleaning privateer G4S is under investigation at a Hertfordshire hospital after the discovery of shocking levels of filth, it was revealed yesterday.

Waste bags containing body fluids, mucus, used drips and bloody dressings were found strewn across wards and piled in corridors at Lister Hospital in Stevenage after a whistleblower contacted the media.

East & North Herts NHS Trust renewed a cleaning contract with G4S on April 1.

Trade union Ucatt, which represents G4S cleaners at the hospital, said the firm immediately set about attacking wages and working conditions, and imposing redundancies.

The union said G4S cut night staff wages by up to £5.98 an hour, reduced weekend staff wages by £2 an hour, cut holiday and sick pay, and made 12 cleaners redundant.

Ucatt acting regional secretary Ron McKay said: “We warned that G4S cuts would be very bad news for the hospital as well as the affected staff, and sadly those fears have come to pass.”

He called for an “urgent review” of the G4S contract.Mr McKay said: “If G4S are serious about resolving the problems at Lister Hospital, they need to sit down and discuss the problems with Ucatt. 

“The cuts in pay and conditions have destroyed morale and, until the firm finds a solution, severe problems will remain.”

G4S is one of a growing number of greedy NHS privateers which slash wages, cut jobs and worsen conditions to boost the profits they make after winning NHS contracts.

With the Tories hell-bent on more NHS privatisation, such incidents could become common if they win re-election.

G4S head of facilities management Gareth Chapman said the firm was working with the trust to rectify the problems.