It seems that every few months we hear on the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum of yet another problem in the collection of clinical wastes from domiciliary waste producers.

This time, its Birmingham (again) receiving criticism for difficulties caused to Bartley Green householders who waited for three weeks for the Council or its contractors to collect clinical wastes generated in the treatment of their disabled son.

They claim they were fobbed off by the local authority after complaining about the mound of orange bags, containing syringes, bottles and bandages – items used in the care of their five-year-old son.

By the beginning of this week, four bags sat on the driveway of the Bartley Green property.

“We’ve just been fobbed-off. All they seem to be interested in is the ‘job number’.

“We’ve been given no reasons. What’s worse is my wife’s a diabetic and she couldn’t dispose of her sharp bins because it’s too dangerous to leave them outside for days.”

It all sounds predictably poor. There is an issue of administration and financing and that cannot be circumvented, but it can be made far more efficient, with error avoided and customer care placed high on the list of performance standards.

But one can sympathise, both with the householders and, albeit less so, with the local authority for whom this can be a particularly costly service that becomes even more complex when liaising with PCTs , now CCGs, to ensure funding and then arranging a one-off or occasional collection.

That is, however, no excuse for poor service, for which Birmingham seems now to have earned a particularly unwanted and wholly negative accolade.

see also Clinical waste left on Northampton street for weeks

see also Kirklees Council 0/10 for clinical waste services

see also Clinical waste collection failures in Birmingham

see also Birmingham clinical waste collection problems

see also York City Council clinical waste failures