The reason why Ramsey District Cottage Hospital has been plagued by pests has been revealed in a new planning application submitted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The department is seeking permission to carry out roof repairs at the hospital in order to ‘address defects in the fabric that have allowed pests to infiltrate’ the building. The proposed work will also aim to prevent water ingress that has been affecting parts of the structure.

The repairs are to be undertaken by Mc2 Consulting on behalf of the DHSC.

According to the planning application’s cover letter, the work forms part of a broader programme of remedial activity currently taking place at the hospital.

It states: ‘Internal remedial works and refurbishments are currently being carried out at the hospital building.

‘The proposed remedial works to the roofs of the hospital buildings are required to address defects in the fabric that have allowed pests to infiltrate, address water ingress at roof abutments and penetrations and address a backlog of maintenance issues.’

Services normally provided at Ramsey District Cottage Hospital have been temporarily relocated while work continues to deal with the ongoing pest control problem. They are not expected to return until the end of April.

Some services have remained operational within the hospital’s newly refurbished Martin Ward, which was the first section of the building to close in October when the pest control issue was initially identified. Other services have been temporarily moved to Noble’s Hospital.

The proposed roof repairs include a range of maintenance and restoration work designed to secure the building and prevent further problems.

Plans include re-covering the flat roof of the mortuary, removing redundant chimney stacks and slating them over, and removing redundant roof ventilation cowls before covering those areas with slate.

Contractors will also refix any slipped slates and repair or replace damaged or decayed timber battens, roofing felt and structural roofing timbers where necessary.

Additional work will focus on sealing gaps in the roof structure to prevent birds, vermin or water from entering the building. Investigations will also take place to identify water ingress affecting the tiled roof above the hospital library.

Other repairs will involve removing and replacing decayed fascias and barge boards.

Concerns about pest activity at the hospital were previously raised earlier this year.

In January, then Infrastructure Minister Dr Michelle Haywood confirmed that annual pest control inspections had not taken place at the hospital since 2015. However, she said six-weekly inspections of kitchen areas had continued during that period.

Following the recent increase in pest activity reports at the site, inspections have since been stepped up significantly.

At the time, Dr Haywood said pest control firm Vespula Limited had attended the hospital on 39 separate occasions since May 2025.

She said the visits involved inspections using cameras, bait and traps, while remedial measures included the use of rodenticide and insecticide where required.

Last autumn, Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian confirmed that the Minor Injuries Unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital would remain closed at weekends for the foreseeable future due to staffing pressures.