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Troubled Shropshire NHS trust faces asbestos prosecution

BBC Royal Shrewsbury HospitalBBC
The notice primarily affects the trust's Emergency Departments, the chief executive said

The trust that runs hospitals in Shropshire is to be prosecuted over an incident involving asbestos removal.

Shropshire and Telford NHS Hospitals Trust (SaTH) was first warned about suspected asbestos exposure at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in 2012.

The whistleblower then lost his job but later won £50,000 damages after a tribunal found he was unlawfully fired.

The trust said it would continue to work closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Fears of people being exposed to asbestos were first raised by Les Small, a project manager in the estates department in 2012.

He reported his fears regarding some renovation work in nursing accommodation at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
The hospital's A&E department would close between 8pm and 8am

The HSE has been investigating Mr Small's complaints, something SaTH said it has been working "very closely" with the watchdog on "over a number of years".

Confirming its intentions to prosecute, the HSE said there is no date for the hearing yet, and there is also no evidence to support proceedings against any individual.

Princess Royal Hospital
Emergency services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford will be closed overnight for the next six months

It is the latest complaint to involve the hospital trust which is currently being investigated regarding concerns over its maternity services. The independent review was ordered by former health secretary Jeremy Hunt last year.

A recent CQC investigation has highlighted safety fears, particularly regarding emergency care, and last week, in a move MPs branded "reckless", SaTH announced the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford would suspend overnight A&E services for six months.

Exposure to asbestos is commonly linked to lung disease and mesothelioma, according to Cancer Research.