Former nurse died of asbestos exposure at hospital
A retired nurse died from lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos in the hospital where she worked, an inquest has concluded.
Jean Elizabeth McCluskey, 77, from Wrexham, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in February 2020, and died five years later in February 2025.
The inquest in Ruthin was told mesothelioma is a type of cancer which develops in the lining of the lungs and chest and is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.
In a statement written before her death, Ms McCluskey described how asbestos dust would regularly be in the atmosphere at the former War Memorial Hospital in Wrexham, where she worked from 1963 until its closure in 1986.
Asbestos exposure a 'death sentence' for IT worker
Fears over unknown asbestos risks in Welsh schools
Thousands of high-risk toxic sites unchecked due to lack of cash
Workmen would repair pipes without sealing off the area, further exposing her to dust containing asbestos, the inquest heard.
Asbestos was used extensively until the 1980s in building work and to insulate pipes.
It is now banned because of the health risks from breathing in the dust.
"Pipe work ran round the wards and was lagged with asbestos," said Ms McCluskey in her statement.
"It was often knocked and would generate dust.
"Men would work on the pipes, and the area would not be closed off - on occasions, I was next to them where they were working."
The coroner said he was satisfied on the balance of probability that Ms McCluskey was exposed to asbestos while working at the hospital.
He recorded a conclusion that her death was caused by industrial disease.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Diabetes scheme reduces risk of condition by quarter
A diabetes prevention programme in Wales could reduce the risk of developing the condition by nearly a quarter, research has shown. But the all-Wales programme "doesn't currently live up to its name" as it only operates in parts of Wales, a charity said. Diabetes affects more than 220,000 people in Wales with projections it could rise by 22% over the next decade. Rachel Burr, head of Diabetes UK Cymru, said NHS costs had also risen and called for money to be invested in patients before they start to live with the condition. The Welsh government said funding has been allocated this year to make further progress in embedding delivery in core activity and rolling it out across Wales. Following a pilot in two parts of Wales, in 2022 the gradual roll out began with 35 of the 60 primary care clusters in Wales, prioritising areas in each health board with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Funded by the Welsh government but provided by health boards, it has now been offered to more than 10,000 people across Wales. "So many people in Wales will not have access to this programme currently and that's an inequity – its not fair," said Ms Burr. "We want everyone to have access to the same level of support and care because diabetes is such a serious condition. "It's actually at crisis levels in Wales and continuing to rise and we need to make sure we're getting people the help they need before they develop diabetes if possible." David Weekes from Swansea has been among those to benefit from the prevention programme. The 67-year-old only discovered he was pre-diabetic when he went to the GP about an unrelated rash on his knees, and was sent to see the prevention team in Penclawdd. "We talked about my diet and exercise and I went back for a follow-up appointment this year," he said. "In that time I have lost 2st 1lb (13kg). I stopped eating as many biscuits and cakes and I now go to the gym every day. "I feel a lot better in myself for doing it and my glucose levels have come right down." Ms Weekes said while he was not unfit before, it gave him the warning "I needed". "I now cycle seven days a week, for about 15-16 miles (25km), and I do weightlifting in the gym." The scheme uses a blood test, called an HbA1c test, to identify those at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes by measuring their average blood sugar levels. Those with levels between 42-47 millimoles per mole are classed as at increased risk and offered a 30-minute appointment with a healthcare support worker, where information and support is provided. A follow up appointment then takes place a year later. Dr Sarah Davies, a GP in Cardiff and primary care lead for diabetes in Wales, said blood tests would often identify someone is borderline for type 2 diabetes, but "until now we haven't had anywhere we can refer those individuals to get that support". "Primary care is on our knees and under-resourced across Wales. So sometimes those patients haven't received much in the way of information about pre diabetes. "That's why I so welcome this program to enable us to refer these individuals into a community service. "I'm hoping now that we've got this study that clearly demonstrates the benefits, this will support more widespread funding for this innovative program here in NHS Wales." She added that patients sometimes feel shame attached to being told they are pre-diabetic. "There's a lot of blame associated with it, which is not the case. There's many reasons why people end up living with overweight, obesity and at risk of type two diabetes, many complex environmental, genetic reasons. "So sometimes people don't want to face up to it, but actually giving one to one support via this program is a lovely way to be able to give an individualized approach." Alisha Davies, head of research and evaluation at Public Health Wales, said results have shown the programme has been been effective in "stalling and reducing progression" to diabetic blood glucose levels. She said "robust monitoring and evaluation" will help to understand its impact over time on "an important preventable disease in Wales". Staff from one primary care cluster in Swansea have also taken the screening to a local mosque to identify those who are either pre-diabetic or have undiagnosed diabetes. Dr Wynn Burke said: "Our practice population includes a significant Asian community who are known to be at higher risk of diabetes from a much younger age. "We do a lot of diabetes screening in high-risk individuals as part of our normal practice. "However, the percentage of our practice population with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes remains below the expected ratio, therefore we sought to reach out and bridge potential health inequalities." Caroline Ashwood, an advanced nurse practitioner at SA1 Medical Centre, said around a fifth of the 140 people screened over three days so far had been identified as pre-diabetic, and three had diabetes. "Swansea Mosque is based within our (cluster area), and it is one of the largest in the UK with around 10,000 members, so this was a great opportunity to bridge health inequalities," she said. "The team at Swansea Mosque were equally proactive in working together. They set up the online booking system and supported us on the screening days we have already carried out." The Welsh government said: "We know preventative support makes a real difference in reducing the risk of people with prediabetes developing type 2 diabetes, and funding from a variety of sources has been used to develop and extend the programme. "To ensure more people across Wales can benefit from early support, funding has also been allocated this year to make further progress in embedding delivery in core activity and rolling out across Wales." There are more than 220,000 people in Wales with diabetes – predominantly with type 2 which is preventable – and the numbers have steadily risen in Wales. Projections by Public Health Wales (PHW) suggest that without intervention, by 2035 there will be a 22% rise in those numbers. The figures are higher among older people and men, though Diabetes UK Cymru said they were seeing more cases of people under 40 developing the condition. PHW research shows the cost and volume of medicines prescribed for diabetes has been steadily increasing over the last decade. The cost of medicine ingredients alone has risen 56% in the last five years and is now over £90m in Wales, partly because of the increase in the numbers of items prescribed. There were also 90,000 hospital admissions attributed to diabetes in Wales during 2021/2022. Type 2 diabetes is where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not react to insulin properly. Healthy eating, regular exercise and a healthy body weight reduce the risk of developing it. The condition can cause excessive thirst, tiredness and the need to go for a wee a lot. It can also lead to complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, retina damage and foot problems if not managed well.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Patients may be seen by any dental surgery
Patients could be moved around dental surgeries under proposed changes to the system. Instead of having a regular surgery, the changes could see people offered treatment at any practice within their health board area, with check-ups for those with healthy teeth pushed to every 18 to 24 months. The Welsh government said the proposals would improve access to dental services, particularly for those most in need. But the British Dental Association (BDA) said the opposite could happen and more patients may be forced to go private. The biggest change would see all patients over 18 placed onto a central waiting list, called the Dental Access Portal (DAP). They would then be allocated a surgery, which could be anywhere within the health board area. If they need treatment, they would remain with that surgery until it is complete and beyond, if they needed close monitoring. If or when teeth are healthy, patients would be returned to the central portal and would be recalled for a check-up in 18 to 24 months wherever there is space. Children would be assessed under the plans but stay at the first surgery they are allocated. Some charges for patients would also change - with check-ups going up from £20 to £24.75 but a single crown going down from £260 to £239.15. 'There could be no NHS dentists in two years' Welsh dentistry 'no example' to England Family unable to see a dentist in four years Health Minister Jeremy Miles said the plans would benefit everyone. "It will make NHS dentistry more attractive to dentists and that is good for patients," he said. "Actually, what we want to make sure is that patients do look after their own oral health but when they do need to see a dentist they will be able to access one which is the critical thing." Jody Pegler, 46, from Pontllanfraith, Caerphilly county, who has been with his dentist in Newbridge for more than 30 years, said: "I have been coming here since I was a child. "It's nice to see the same person on a regular basis." Mr Pegler, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, said his family members needing to visit different surgeries could be problematic. "My wife, my child and myself could potentially be attending different practices," he said. "It's difficult to get out and to go anywhere really and if we have to go to different practices it would be impossible. "This dentist's in particular have made a big effort to make sure the practice is wheelchair accessible for me - that means a lot." Jody's dentist is Dr Harj Singhrao, owner of Newbridge Dental Care, who believes the potential breakdown in continued care will be "devastating". "If families can't be seen at the same practice, if people are punished then to join a waiting list because they have looked after their mouth, then where are they going to go? Because we know hospital waiting lists don't work," he said. The proposals are now part of a public consultation, open until 19 June, and in Cardiff people gave a mixed response to the plans when asked by BBC Wales. Robyn Weldon, 21, said: "I've been going to my dentist since I was probably six so I guess that would be a bit sad if I can't go to him. "I would say too that things haven't been going very well for the NHS so maybe this could be a good start to kind of make things easier for them and for us." Paul McCarthy, 77, said he was unaware of the changes. "I wouldn't be very happy about it either," he said. "I've been coming here for over 30 years and I'm used to coming here so I wouldn't like that at all." Justin Rees, 52, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, thought the new portal idea could be positive. "It's good because one, there are no appointments at the moment. "Two, it'll remind people that they need to have their teeth checked because you're busy all day and there's things that you let go," he said. In relation to how people currently access services, the consultation document says "contrary to popular belief" patients are not actually registered with a practice once their treatment ends, adding "for those who clinically require regular access, or an urgent need arises, nothing really changes". On check-ups, it says there is "false narrative" that six-monthly check-ups are necessary for everyone and that by giving people with healthy teeth a check-up less often, it will open up access for others. NICE guidelines say intervals between check-ups "should be determined specifically for each patient" and the longest interval for adults should be 18-24 months. But Dr Lauren Harrhy from the BDA said she was concerned that people may end up waiting much longer, with "most people" benefiting from regular checks. Dr Harrhy, who runs a practice in Pontypool, Torfaen, said: "If we are always having patients into the practice who need lots of work done and they are not able to be put back into the central database, there is a saturation point and at which point, access into dental practices will cease. "Our main concerns are we will have an overall reduction in the continuity of care... and we may find that dentists leave NHS dentistry which has been a trend over recent years anyway." Dentists also say the proposals offer no extra money to fund the changes. But Miles said investment in dentistry had increased year on year. "This isn't a contract we have drawn up from thin air, it is based on years worth of work, it's 13 months of negotiations with the BDA itself," he said. "No contract gives everybody exactly what they want but I am absolutely confident that for everybody - for patients, for dentists, for the NHS, for the government - this is a step forward." British Dental Association Why can't I find an NHS dentist in Wales? Fees will see more people pull teeth out - dentist Patient, 73, has 100-mile round trip for dentist
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Former workers sue chicken plant over Covid outbreak
Former workers at a poultry factory who claim they caught coronavirus in a mass outbreak at the plant can continue legal action against their former employers. Public Health Wales said there were over 200 confirmed Covid-19 cases linked to the 2 Sisters plant in Llangefni, on Anglesey, in June 2020. The group are suing 2 Sisters Food Group, alleging they contracted Covid-19 as a result of a breach of duty, breach of contract and negligence. Their case was thrown out last year but they have now won a High Court appeal, allowing the case to continue. Lawyers for 2 Sisters previously argued the claimants could not prove how they caught the virus and if it was connected to the factory. 200 Covid-19 cases at Welsh meat plant outbreak End of an era as 700 jobs go at chicken factory The 2 Sisters factory closed down permanently in March 2023, with the loss of over 700 jobs, after the company said the site was old and needed too much investment to bring it up to standard. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, its site was one of several food processing factories in Wales that experienced outbreaks of Covid-19. At the time, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said officials were looking at the level of risk in the food industry. Mark Edwards, Glynne Roberts, Nia Williams and Brian Perry worked on the chicken production line and claim they worked "shoulder to shoulder" and all fell ill with the virus that month. As part of their claim, they say Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work regulations had not been properly followed. The company accepts the staff worked in close proximity with each other, but denies they were "shoulder to shoulder". The firm said it implemented enhanced hygiene measures at the factory which was temporarily closed on 18 June 2020. At the start of their legal action, the former employees had not obtained expert medical evidence to support the claim. Their lawyers said occupational health experts and virologists would be asked to give their opinion before the case went to trial. They also said the company should disclose evidence about the outbreak before they could ask for expert opinion to back up the claim. Lawyers for 2 Sisters argued the claimants could not prove when or how they had caught the virus and if it had any connection to the factory. In January 2024 they asked for the case to be struck out at the county court in Caernarfon on the basis that Mr Edwards and the others could not prove the cause of their illness and that their claim was doomed to fail. In July, Judge Wendy Owen ruled there was no real prospect of the claim succeeding without medical evidence and no other compelling reason why the case should go to trial. The judge said the issue of causation and medical opinion was a crucial element which should have already been investigated before proceedings were commenced, and gave a summary judgement against the former workers. But permission to appeal the case was granted in December 2024 and a hearing before a High Court judge in Cardiff was held in April. In a judgement handed down at the end of May, High Court judge Sir Peter Lane said the summary judgment process was "somewhat draconian in nature" and courts should avoid conducting what has come to be described as a "mini trial" of a case. Sir Peter said Judge Owen "fell into error" in effectively conducting a "mini trial" without the benefit of the evidence that would have been available had the case been allowed to proceed to trial. He found that in a claim where the costs of an expert are likely to be significant, when set against the likely value of the claims, it is "plainly proportionate" for the former workers to have proceeded with the claim in this way. Allowing the appeal, he said the claimants may face "an uphill task" but Judge Owen could not be satisfied the claimants had no real prospect of succeeding. The date for the next hearing is yet to be decided. Long NHS waits to end by 2026, says health board Couple take legal action over newborn baby's death Young people with long Covid 'battle' for NHS care
