Lawyer Asks For Workmates Of Asbestos Cancer Victim To Come Forward

The son of a former Shenley Hospital worker, who died after being exposed to asbestos, is appealing for his mother’s former colleagues to get in touch.

Chris Hanson is making the appeal on behalf of his late mother, 82-year-old Mary Hanson from Oakfield Lane, Harpenden.  Mary died in 2009 from mesothelioma, a fatal lung cancer which develops as a result of exposure to asbestos. 

Mr Hanson believes that his mother was exposed to asbestos during the course of her working life; Mary Hanson, who was originally from Bramley in Leeds, worked at the Shenley Hospital, in Shenley, Radlett, Hertfordshire, from 1979 until the early 1980s. 

Mary worked as an occupational therapist in the domestic rehabilitation unit of Shenley hospital; she was involved in the rehabilitation of psychiatric patients with a view to re-integrating them into the community.  Prior to her death, Mary had recalled that the domestic rehabilitation unit may have been contaminated with asbestos dust and that the cloakroom and washroom areas had asbestos-lagged pipes. 

Mary had trained at the St Andrews private hospital in Northampton in around 1944-1945.  She then worked at the Woodlands Rehabilitation Centre, Rawdon, West Yorkshire before moving on to work in the occupational therapy wards of Leeds General Infirmary and St James’ Hospital, Leeds, from 1951 until 1955.

Mr Hanson is hoping that other employees of the Shenley Hospital will be able to shed more light on the presence of asbestos in the working environment during his late mother’s employment.  He is asking anyone with information to contact him through his solicitor, industrial disease expert Katrina London from national law firm Irwin Mitchell LLP. 

Katrina commented: “We would like to hear from anyone who worked with and knew Mary at the Shenley Hospital.  Through no fault of her own, Mary was exposed to asbestos and suffered a terrible debilitating disease.  We are appealing for help from any employees of these hospitals to aid our enquiries.”

More than 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. It is a type of cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and does not respond well to treatment, so treatment options are limited. Employers have a duty to take precautions with asbestos. There is no safe type of asbestos and no safe level of asbestos exposure.”

Anyone who can help with any information is asked to contact Katrina London at Irwin Mitchell LLP on 0161 838 7262 or email Katrina.london@irwinmitchell.com