Daughter Uses Workers’ Memorial Day To Ask Former Nottingham City Hospital Staff To Provide Vital Answers

A daughter is appealing for help to establish if the asbestos-related cancer which claimed her dad’s life was caused by him accompanying his father to work at Nottingham City Hospital as a child.

Kevin Frankton, died aged 56, nine months after he was diagnosed with  mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to exposure to asbestos. An inquest earlier this year recorded a verdict that Kevin died from industrial disease.

Before his death in December, 2017, Kevin, from Carlton, Nottingham, instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how he was exposed to the deadly material.

His daughter, Hannah, 25, and his partner of 17 years, Jayne Smith, joined their legal team at Irwin Mitchell in using International Workers’ Memorial Day to appeal for information about working conditions at Nottingham City Hospital in the 1960s and 1970s when Kevin would accompany his dad, Arthur, to work on a Saturday.

Simone Hardy, expert asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said: 

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“As a boy innocently joining his dad at work on a Saturday, Kevin would have had no idea of the dangers that he was potentially exposed to.

“A case of this nature is a terrible reminder of the devastating impact that asbestos can have on those who come into contact with it.

“Kevin’s family is determined to honour his memory by obtaining the answers as to how he contracted mesothelioma, something he was not able to achieve before his death.

“We would urge anyone with information which could help to come forward as soon as possible. We are keen to hear from anyone who worked at Nottingham City Hospital’s maintenance department, particularly as a plumber during the 1960s and 1970s, to contact us about the working environment.” Simone Hardy - Senior Associate Solicitor

Before his death Kevin told his legal team, how when he was aged around seven, he started joining his dad, Arthur, at work at Nottingham City Hospital on a Saturday. He remembered going into service tunnels below the hospital wards where all the pipes and cables were located.

Kevin, who ran his own office supplies business, started developing symptoms including shortness of breath and a cough in late 2016/early 2017. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2017.

In her father’s memory, Hannah has been fundraising for the charity Mesothelioma UK. A collection at Kevin’s funeral in January raised £1,200 for the charity which supports people with mesothelioma and their families.

Hannah held a charity garden party in September 2017 and successfully raised more than £1,500 for Mesothelioma UK. She also completed several “Race for Life” events during 2017, raising £1,400 for Cancer Research UK.

She said: “Dad’s diagnosis was extremely hard for our family to take and we still can’t believe he has gone.

“My dad had so many questions about how he could have been exposed to asbestos and just wanted his family to know what happened.

“Mesothelioma is a disease with limited treatment options and my family know all too well the devastating impact it has. To see my dad go from being fit and healthy to dying from cancer in less than a year was horrible.

“We can’t change what has happened, but hopefully by having my granddad’s old colleagues come forward it will enable my family to understand how this happened and raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos for others.”

Anyone with information regarding the working conditions at Nottingham City Hospital during the late 1960s and early 1970s should contact Simone Hardy on 0114 274 4420 or email simone.hardy@irwinmitchell.com.

International Workers’ Memorial Day was April 28. One of the themes of the day is to campaign for improved health and safety standards in workplaces.

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in mesothelioma claims.