Some 28 call-outs were made to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen in a 12 month period to deal with pests. With 128 call-outs across the Western Trust area in this period.

In addition to this, the hospital had five routine visits by pest control specialists to deal with the problem.

The figure equates to just over two call-outs a month to deal with a range of pests including mice, rats, fleas and bedbugs.

A spokesperson for the Western Health and Social Care Trust said this week: "The Western Trust is proactive in relation to the issue of pest control and takes the matter very seriously. The Trust has a contract with pest control specialists which provides for routine visits each year to its facilities, many of which are large buildings with a significant throughput of people 365 days a year.

"During the financial year 2007/2008", she went on, " the Trust had 37 routine visits by its pest control contractors and 128 call-outs to respond to sightings or suspected sightings of pests in its hospitals.

"The Erne Hospital had five routine visits, and 28 call-outs were made. There were no call-outs to ward or clinical areas in the Altnagelvin, Erne, or Tyrone County hospitals. A routine visit or call-out does not mean that a pest has been found', she explained.

"Visits are often to deal with one-off sightings of pests."

The most common types of pests dealt with were mice, rats, fleas, silverfish and bedbugs. Pest control specialists carry out treatments following each visit as appropriate. They also provide specialist advice to the Trust following the contract visits, for example, in relation to minor repairs to the building, reviewing housekeeping/cleaning arrangements and monitoring.

Contractors also had to treat bedbugs at staff accommodation at Altnagelvin Hospital as well as in areas of the Erne Hospital and Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital.

The trust said that pest activity remained "quite similar" from year to year.