Irwin Mitchell to raise awareness of mesothelioma

Expert asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell Glasgow, which helps hundreds of people affected by mesothelioma every year, has backed Action Mesothelioma Day, which takes place on Friday 1 July.

The national awareness day aims to bring together victims of the disease, those who have loved ones affected by the disease, healthcare professionals, support groups and those working to understand the disease and find a cure, to ensure the public are aware of the terrible impact it can have on sufferers and their carers.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive, and sadly terminal, form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, often decades before victims begin to suffer with symptoms. According to the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) more than 2,500 people in the UK lose their lives to the disease every year.

It is most commonly associated with heavy industry and the building trade and the vast majority of deaths from mesothelioma are in people over the age of 65. It is predicted that mesothelioma deaths will continue to rise every year before reaching a peak in about 2020.

Nicola McCartney, an expert asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell Scotland in Glasgow, said: “As a result of past failures, more than 2,500 people die in the UK every year from mesothelioma. According to the latest figures, this awful disease is not going away and we are expecting the number of people diagnosed with it to increase in the coming years. That is why we support Action Mesothelioma Day, with the aim of ensuring that this horrendous disease, which causes untold suffering for thousands of victims and their families every year, does not slip out of the public consciousness.”

Specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are campaigning for improvements in the way the HMRC handles claims relating to asbestos-related diseases, as well as calling for increased monitoring and management of asbestos in public buildings.