Image courtesy of Channel 4 News
A joint investigation by Channel 4 News and The Independent reveals that NHS and laboratory staff are regularly exposed to formaldehyde at levels far exceeding both EU and US legal limits, and often even surpassing the UK’s own legal threshold.
Formaldehyde, widely used in embalming and tissue preservation, is a known carcinogen and biohazard.
Using the Freedom of Information Act Dr Richard Yates and Dr Magdalena Plesa have found that of 117 NHS cell pathology departments seventy per cent of NHS cell pathology departments exceeded EU limits regularly over twelve months, while thirty-four per cent surpassed UK limits at least once, and some up to 70 times.
Experts said that any breach of the 2ppm should trigger immediate closure of a lab.
Additionally, fifty-four per cent of departments monitored formaldehyde levels only once a month or less, despite its hazardous nature, which an expert likened to “turning on your carbon monoxide alarm once a month”
The US Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that formaldehyde poses an “unreasonable risk of injury to human health,” linking it to cancers and damage to the respiratory, female reproductive, and nervous systems.
The EU legal limit for workplace exposure is 0.3 ppm over 8 hours, while the UK’s limit is 2ppm – seven times higher and the highest defined limit globally. Plans to reduce the UK limit in line with other countries were scrapped post-Brexit.
The joint investigation can now reveal that a catalogue of legal cases are now emerging, including two nurses, an engineer and mortuary worker all of whom have been left with debilitating occupational asthma.
Speaking to Channel 4 News and The Independent, Robert Mifflin, 57, former head of mortuary services at the University of Oxford said:
“First of all, it was just eyes and nose irritation and then gradually, over time, I had sores in my nostrils and vomiting, nosebleeds, and constant problems with my breathing…But it got to the point where I was so lethargic, I was struggling to get up to go to work, and I just felt constantly ill, and I hadn’t a clue why.”
Mr Mifflin was forced to retire early due to his health issues, and now has chronic asthma. He was awarded a £200,000 settlement this year; but while the university accepted breach of duty for his acute symptoms, they did not accept liability for his asthma.
A University of Oxford spokesperson commented: “We cannot comment on individuals but we constantly strive to ensure that our facilities comply with current health and safety requirements and that all staff are trained to use equipment and facilities safely.”
Sally*, a biomedical scientist in Scotland, speaking anonymously, was officially diagnosed with occupational asthma linked to formaldehyde in 2023. She reports that symptoms started in 2015.
She tells the joint investigation that nine years later, after being further exposed to cleaning chemicals during the COVID-19 pandemic, which worsened her symptoms, Sally was forced to leave a job she loved and retire early due to ill health at the age of 60. She received a financial settlement from NHS Lanarkshire in 2024.
An NHS Lanarkshire spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our staff is our top priority. We strive to ensure a safe workplace and will always address any concerns raised. While we cannot comment on individual cases, scheduled monitoring has consistently shown formaldehyde levels below workplace limits. We have reviewed safety systems, and a 2024 Health & Safety Executive inspection found no issues. Ongoing monitoring will continue to ensure staff are not at risk from chemical exposure.”
Tonight, experts warn that inadequate risk assessments and insufficient PPE are compounding the danger.
Satinder Bains, a Medical Negligence Partner at Irwin Mitchell, is representing a client who has occupational asthma after being sent to fix a formaldehyde tank at a NHS pathology lab in the midlands.
“He was wearing a basic paper mask, and when he opened the chamber, he describes being hit with vapor that hit the back of his throat, and almost immediately, he experienced symptoms of chest tightness that was then subsequently followed by fits of coughing and the feeling of not feeling very well, and as the during the course of the day, those symptoms then started to become progressively worse.”
“It has materialised that an appropriate risk assessment wasn’t carried out..the ventilation hood, the extractor hood that normally protects the engineer from the exposure had broken down, and in addition, the ventilation systems within the laboratory themselves, itself was also faulty.”
Bains said she’s alarmed by the cases cropping up across the country: “formaldehyde is a hazardous substance. It’s a very nasty substance, and it can have long term health implications if you’re exposed to it in circumstances such as my client.”
Mikaela* a doctor who works in NHS Pathology labs, described being “fobbed off” when seeking information about risks during pregnancy and was refused appropriate PPE. She says she “felt like I had to fight for my unborn child.”
Despite prior plans to align UK exposure limits with EU standards, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) tells Channel 4 News it has no plans to review the current limit, citing a robust regulatory framework.
In fact, since Brexit, 31 hazardous chemicals have been regulated by the EU that the UK has not addressed.
The investigation raises urgent questions about workplace safety, regulatory oversight, and the protection of healthcare workers from preventable harm.
In a statement to Channel 4 News and The Independent, a spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive said:
“Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), employers have a legal duty to assess risks from hazardous substances and implement adequate control measures. As formaldehyde is a carcinogen, exposure must be reduced to as low a level as is reasonably practicable (ALARP).
“As the legal requirement is already to reduce exposure to the lowest reasonably practicable level, there would be no health risk benefit to be gained by lowering the current workplace exposure limit.
“We are aware of the research concerning formaldehyde exposure in NHS pathology departments and have met with the researchers to discuss their findings.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said:
“NHS Trusts are responsible for ensuring safe working environments for all staff and where concerns are raised, we expect the Health and Safety Executive to take swift action.
“This government inherited a crumbling NHS estate which had been starved of investment but are turning this around through a record £30 billion for day-to-day maintenance and repairs – with over £5 billion allocated specifically to address the most critical cases.”
‘Toxic Truth: Inside the NHS Formaldehyde Scandal’ will air on Channel 4 at 7pm
