Mesothelioma charity puts its case to MPs

Representatives of the charity Mesothelioma UK made a presentation at a meeting of Parliament’s All-Party Asbestos Meeting, which included Fareham MP Suella Fernandes.

The main focus was raising awareness of the disease.

Miss Fernandes attended after being contacted by her constituent Anne Moylan, who works at Queen Alexandra Hospital and is one of seven specialist nurses employed by Mesothelioma UK.

Miss Fernandes said: ‘Mesothelioma is a devastating disease and in Fareham we have a particularly acute problem with it due to our local industrial history.

‘It’s important we raise awareness of the condition and the suffering it causes, while continuing to invest in research to improve our understanding of the disease and deliver more effective treatments.’

Figures from the Office for National Statistics found 62 people in Fareham died from mesothelioma between 2010 and 2014, making it the fourth highest mortality rate in England and Wales.

This compares with the national average of 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people.