Former nurse with a cancer suit trust on asbestos exposure

Neal McCrakean

BBC News NI Mid Ulster Reporter

BBC Monica Johnson has light brown hair of shoulder length and is wearing a white jacket above a dark blue. It has a gold necklace with a cross. — Monica Johnson worked as a nurse at Royal Victoria Hospital for nearly 50 years

A retired nurse with terminal cancer is sueing the Belfast Health Trust on the alleged performance of Esbestos during its time, BBC News NI.

Monica Johnson worked for nearly 50 years at the Royal Victoria Hospital and in January 2023 received the diagnosis of cancer mesothelioma related to an asbestos.

Asbestos was used in manufacturing materials until it was not known that fiber breathing could cause cancer, but it is only considered dangerous when it is transferred.

In a statement, the Belfast Trust stated that it had “strong arrangements to manage the sites effectively with asbestos.

Asbestos was used in manufacturing materials until it was discovered that fiber breathing could cause cancer

A graphic states what asbestos is and explains its effects. — Asbestos was used in manufacturing materials until it was discovered that fiber breathing could cause cancer

Ms. Johnson is taking a legal case against the Belfast Trust as she believes that she was in touch with the Asbestos Fiber during her working life.

Symptoms of mesothelioma can take decades to develop, and it is almost always fatal.

One of the main reasons for a long time, the low-level inhalation of asbestos is.

Bangore’s 66 -year -old said that when he received a diagnosis, “it was as if a bomb was dropped on my family.”

“I kept thinking, ‘How can this happen?” I have only worked as a nurse;

Between 2014 and 2023, Northern Ireland led to deaths related to 699 asbestos.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Northern Ireland in the last decade in Northern Ireland.

A graphic between 2014 and 2023 showed deaths in 699 asbestos in Northern Ireland, that from 2019 to 2024, £ 10M was spent on the management of asbestos in hospitals and £ 347K was paid on the Esbestos exposer in healthcare buildings. — Hundreds of people have been killed in Northern Ireland in the last decade in Northern Ireland.

The BBC News NI may suggest that since 2019, Northern Ireland has spent more than £ 10 m on removal of asbestos from hundreds of hospitals and healthcare buildings in Northern Ireland.

More than half of the Belfast Trust was spent.

The Health Department stated that the removal of asbestos from health assets “reduces the risk of health by contact with asbestos”.

Health Trusts say they invest “significant amounts of money” to reduce the risk of any exposure of asbestos and that the “strong arrangement” is to manage the sites where it was present.

Statistics were released on the cost of removing asbestos through freedom of information request

Asbestos removal figures with a picture of a man in a white Hazmat suit, wearing a respiratory mask and green gloves. Reads a tape in the foreground "Warnings stay out of asbestos removal" — Statistics were released on the cost of removing asbestos through freedom of information request

Compensation

There are several ways to claim compensation for asbestos exposure in Northern Ireland.

First of all, individuals can sue the organization that they believe is responsible.

The new figures received by the BBC News NI Show at least £ 347,000 have been paid by the health trusts of Northern Ireland since 2003, believing that they were in touch with asbestos in their buildings.

Belfast, Northern and Southern Trusts were able to provide a composite figure for the total amount they have paid in asbestos compensation that they have on record.

Statistics were released to BBC News Ni through a series of freedom of information requests.

The asbestos compensation figures paid by each health trust were broken and displayed in a table. — Statistics were released to BBC News Ni through a series of freedom of information requests.

The South Eastern Trust and the Western Trust only provided the funds that they paid between 2019 and 2024 in asbestos compensation.

Other ways for people affected by asbestos exposure include several government compensation schemes.

BBC News Ni told earlier that Millions of pounds have been paid through these schemesThe majority is associated with the shipbuilding industry of Belfast.

Monica Johnson says that she is very proud of her career as a nurse

Johnson family Monica Johnston has her little golden hair, in her red nurses uniform. — Monica Johnson says that she is very proud of her career as a nurse

Ms. Johnson began working as a nurse in 1977.

“I loved my job, and I was very lucky that I had great health for most of my life, and I never smoked or anything like that,” he said.

In November 2021, she began to see that she was constantly out of breath, but was unable to diagnose for some time.

Things eventually came to one head when she develops pain in her chest and fell to work.

The scan will eventually confirm that Ms. Johnson had Mesotheloma.

“Even as an experienced nurse, I had never heard of it, and the doctor explained that you could come in contact with asbestos, the only way to get it,” he said.

“There was nothing in my childhood, my family, or their work that connected me to asbestos; the only possible risk was through my work.”

Monica worked till her mesothelioma diagnosis at Royal Victoria Hospital

Johnson family Monica depicted at the Royal Victoria Hospital ground, where he worked till his mesothelioma diagnosis. She is standing near a large bronze statue of Queen Victoria, sitting on a throne. Behind it is the red-brick buildings of the old part of the hospital. — Monica worked till her mesothelioma diagnosis at Royal Victoria Hospital

Ms. Johnson lived in nursing houses in the 1970s and 1980s.

Some housing blocks were constructed in the early 1950s and recently placed on the Royal Victoria site for demolition to make way for a new children’s hospital.

In 2015, some housing blocks completed the work by a private company, including the removal of asbestos.

Ms. Johnson said that she hoped that her legal matters and speaking will increase awareness about the issue.

“It’s too late for me, and it is not about intimidation, but I want to make people aware of the risks there,” he said.

Ms. Johnson was recently nominated in the New Year Honors list for her services for nursing.

Ms. Johnson was recently named in the New Year Honors list for her services for nursing - she has been seen in a dark blue dress standing in the throne room in Hillsboro Castle, with her British Empire Medal pinned her chest. — Ms. Johnson was recently nominated in the New Year Honors list for her services for nursing.

Ms. Johnson was nominated in the New Year’s honor list and was awarded the British Empire Medal for Services for Nursing.

The Belfast Trust said that it was sad to know that Ms. Johnson had come to know Mesotheloma.

“He was a very valuable and highly respected member of our employees and a tremendous associate, dedicated to the care of patients,” said a spokesman.

‘Strong system’

The Belfast Trust stated that it has 148 sites which still include asbestos, but were “low risk”.

The Health Department said that all its organizations had to follow strict rules regulating asbestos in their buildings.

Charity Mesothelioma UK chief executive Liz Darlison said that she was concerned among those who worked in businesses that had worked in businesses that exposed them at low levels of asbestos such as education and healthcare.