New figures reveal that Sunderland, on average, has more people dying from Mesothelioma than anywhere else in the UK.
According to The Sunderland Echo, 105 people died from the condition between 2008 and 2012. The average number of Mesothelioma deaths per 100,000 people, for this period in England, is 2.6. Wearside’s mortality rate is 5.2, more than twice the national average.
Thomas Fairclough of Asons Solicitors said: “An asbestos related illness like Mesothelioma can lead to a slow, painful death, taking up to 40 years for symptoms to present themselves.”
John Birkett, 66, was diagnosed with the disease in December 2011. He was exposed to asbestos fibres having worked on a shipyard as a 15-year-old apprentice. He feels more needs to be done to “make sure it is the sufferers who are looked after rather than the insurance companies.”
John has since undergone chemotherapy, which has helped shrink the tumour close to his spine, but he knows he faces more treatment in the future.
The Washington area of Sunderland, is believed to have the highest concentration of sufferers, after employees at a former asbestos manufacturer, were exposed to asbestos fibres.
This year the Government announced a Mesothelioma bill, which aims to help those who are finding it difficult to claims compensation from their former employers, or insurers.
It is estimated that 300 people a year receive no civil compensation, despite their diagnoses, because their former employers cannot be traced.
