The SNP Government has come under scrutiny after reportedly providing a financial bailout to Tradebe Healthcare, a clinical waste company, following a devastating fire at its Bellshill depot. The company, contracted in 2019 to handle hazardous waste disposal for NHS facilities in Scotland, had to send clinical waste to England for disposal after the fire in 2021.
According to reports, Tradebe received an additional £5.4 million from National Services Scotland (NSS), the body managing third-party contracts for the NHS, in the aftermath of the fire. This revelation has led to accusations of the SNP failing to implement a sustainable plan for managing clinical waste in Scotland, especially after a previous scandal in 2018 involving improper storage of human remains.
Labour’s health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, criticised the SNP government for not conducting proper due diligence before awarding the contract to Tradebe. The company had taken over the contract after the collapse of Healthcare Environmental Services (HES) in 2019, which left hundreds of workers without jobs and piles of waste unattended in North Lanarkshire.
Tradebe’s track record has also raised concerns, with past incidents of environmental and safety violations in their facilities in England. Despite the additional payments made to Tradebe post-fire, the company maintained that it continued to deliver critical services to hospitals in Scotland and had never faced safety-related prosecutions.
In response to the criticisms, a Scottish Government spokesman emphasised the essential nature of clinical waste disposal for the functioning of the NHS and clarified that the contracts with Tradebe were managed by NHS health boards, not the government directly. Efforts were made to establish stability in the clinical waste supply chain after the HES collapse and the Tradebe fire, including the development of a new waste management facility in Queenslie.
The Tradebe bailout saga underscores the importance of robust due diligence in awarding contracts, especially for critical services such as clinical waste disposal. Transparency and accountability in contract management are vital for ensuring taxpayers’ money is used efficiently and effectively, particularly in the healthcare sector where public health and safety are at stake.