Mitie broke Covid-19 safety laws at Russells Hall Hospital

The concerns are believed to relate to outsourcing firm Mitie's offices at Russells Hall Hospital

A company working in a hospital has been found to have broken Covid safety laws after a significant number of staff caught the virus.

A contravention notice was issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), calling on Mitie to make improvements at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.

The firm said it had complied with the order and the safety of staff and patients was its top priority.

The hospital trust said concerns related to Mitie's offices.

It added they were well away from patient areas of the hospital and its own strict control measures were in place, applying to all contractors.

Mitie is a facilities management company, and Sue Lowe, from the Unite union, said staff employed by the firm worked throughout the hospital on boilers, ventilation and other services.

The regional union officer said she was "shocked" when she visited the offices, claiming she saw furniture left in corridors, no social distancing, no signing in mechanism or hand sanitiser available.

"This is one of the worst workplaces I have attended as a union officer since the beginning of the pandemic," Ms Lowe said.

"Keeping our NHS staff and patients safe should be the first thought of every company working for the NHS."

Mitie is one of the UK's biggest government outsourcers and provides pest control, cleaning, healthcare and security among other services

The HSE said its intervention followed concerns about Covid-19 cases among Mitie employees at Russells Hall and its letter outlined how health and safety law had been breached.

Mitie said the letter had focussed on its risk assessments, which did not cover clinical areas, and these had been updated as required, by 23 April.

• Latest news and updates from the West Midlands

"The safety and wellbeing of employees and patients at the [hospital] trust is our top priority," a spokesperson said.

"This includes maintaining a Covid-secure workplace for our colleagues as well as following government guidance regarding the use of hand sanitiser, PPE, social distancing and other measures.

"We are working closely with HSE in relation to this matter."

The Dudley Group of Hospitals, which runs Russells Hall, said it was proud to have protected patients, visitors and staff throughout the pandemic and had some of the lowest rates of hospital transmission of Covid-19.

"We have strict infection prevention and control measures in place to keep our patients and staff safe and these apply equally to Mitie and all contractors moving around the hospital," a spokesperson said.