Cancer-linked asbestos built into 90pc of NHS hospitals

ASBESTOS is present in nine out of 10 NHS hospitals, an investigation reveals.

An inquiry has been demanded after 198 out of 211 trusts responded to Freedom of Information requests admitting that the hazardous material forms part of their buildings. The naturally occurring mineral was widely used in construction from the Fifties to the Seventies, but has since become subject to heavy regulation after being linked to mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest lining that causes more than 5,000 deaths in the UK per year.

The BBC investigation also found that 352 legal claims had been made against trusts between January 2013 and December 2017 by people claiming they had developed asbestos-related diseases from NHS premises. Documents from those trusts indicate they paid out £6.8 million in compensation.

Jo Stevens, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Occupational Health and Safety, called on the Government to audit the entire health service. “I’d like to see long-term plans and long-term strategies in place for its removal from all buildings,” she said.

However, NHS Improvement, which oversees hospitals, said strict rules were in place to make sure asbestos is safely contained. A spokesman said: “Many parts of the NHS estate date from an era when asbestos was widely used. Asbestos is considered safe if it is undisturbed.

“When building or other work is carried out, experts are brought in to safely dispose of it.”