Thompsons Solicitors has joined parliamentarians, clinicians, trade unions and patient groups at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Occupational Safety and Health to underline the urgent need for action to prevent ongoing asbestos exposure and to improve outcomes for those living with asbestos-related disease.
The meeting, held in the House of Commons on Wednesday 15 April, focused on the current risks from asbestos in public buildings, the lived experience of patients today, and the practical steps needed to prevent future harm. The event was hosted jointly by the APPG on Occupational Safety and Health and Thompsons Solicitors. Speakers included Professor Nicholas Maskell, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Chair of Mesothelioma UK; Michael Phillips, Chair of the TUC’s Asbestos Committee; Liz Darlison CEO of Mesothelioma UK; Jerry Hague from the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum; Amanda Jones Head of Asbestos at Thompsons Solicitors and Mike Harding a mesothelioma patient sharing their personal experiences.
Mesothelioma UK set out its key priorities which included a national clinical audit to measure and improve care standards, expanded access to a specialist mesothelioma clinical networks and increased funding for specialist mesothelioma nurses' posts Amanda Jones, Head of Asbestos at Thompsons Solicitors, said:
‘For nearly thirty years I have represented people whose lives have been devastated by asbestos exposure. What is deeply troubling is that this is not just a legacy issue. We are still seeing people exposed decades after the ban – in hospitals, schools and other public buildings that should be safe. Management plans do not remove asbestos, and they do not prevent fibres being released when buildings age, are refurbished or damaged. Listening to patients like Mike Harding is a stark reminder that exposure has real, lifelong consequences. Prevention is the only cure we currently have. That means moving beyond perpetual management and committing to a long-term, risk-based programme of asbestos removal, starting with the highest-risk settings.’
Thompsons Solicitors has acted for asbestos victims and their families for more than fifty years and maintains the UK’s largest asbestos database on behalf of trade unions. The firm continues to support calls for a national asbestos register, improved enforcement, and a strategic programme of planned removal to prevent future asbestos exposure.