NHS Scotland awards 10-year waste contract

Following a furore over clinical waste storage in late 2018, which led to an EA investigation and the closure of NHS-appointed waste operator HES, a contract for the disposal of healthcare-related waste in Scotland has gone to environmental services firm Tradebe.

The 10-year contract began on 1 February and will cover the consultancy, collection, transport, treatment, recycling and disposal of this waste for 18 health boards in Scotland.

As part of the contract, Tradebe Healthcare will make an important investment in a new purpose-built waste treatment facility in the Glasgow Region. The service that will start later this year will cover all NHS healthcare waste producers in Scotland, including hospitals, GP surgeries, dentists and pharmacies.

Tradebe Healthcare provides an integrated waste management service, including specialist consultancy, training, e-tracked collections, treatment and final disposal at our healthcare facilities. Operating in-house incineration and alternative facilities for healthcare waste treatment, the firm has “full control of collection and treatment, ensuring continuity of our customers’ service.”

In England the Government has already appointed a number of firms, including Tradebe, to handle clinical waste disposal for the NHS, following the EA action at HES in late 2018.