Asbestos victims secure £3.8m

ASBESTOS victims and their families in this region have shared in £3.8m compensation payouts over the last 17 months thanks to the help of campaigners.

The cash was secured by the Northern TUC Asbestos Support and Campaign Group (ASCG) between April 2016 and September 2017 for claimants in the North East and North Cumbria.

The group, launched in 2010, is a partnership between Northern TUC, Macmillan Cancer Support, trade unions and West View Advice and Resource Centre, provides support, advice and information to people living with the effects of asbestos exposure, their families and carers.

People helped by the group have asbestosrelated diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer as well as other workplace cancers.

Beth Farhat, Northern TUC Regional Secretary said: “Results like these are amazing and highlight the need for groups like the ASCG.

“We are also looking to develop this area of work Beth Farhat further and widen the scope of the group to help even more people.”

Asbestos is the biggest cause of workplace deaths. Last year 5,000 people were likely to die prematurely as a result of asbestos exposure, around three times the number of road accident deaths. Most victims die as a result of mesothelioma, a kind of cancer that can be caused by very low levels of exposure.

Ms Farhat said: “Unfortunately, the legacy of asbestos is going to be with us for some time to come so it is imperative that there is free access to good quality, easily accessible support and guidance for those who need it.”