The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has confirmed it will prosecute Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospitals Trust (SaTH) over an incident involving asbestos.
The BBC and local newspaper Shropshire Star report that the HSE has been investigating reports of exposure of staff to asbestos for some time. It was first alerted to the problem in 2012, when a whistle blower reported suspected asbestos in nurse accommodation at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Project Manager within the Estates department, Les Small, reported his concerns and was subsequently dismissed. He has since won a tribunal ruling for unfair dismissal and was awarded £55,000 in damages.
Quoted in the Shropshire Star, Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Governance at SaTH says: “We have been notified by the HSE of their intention to commence legal proceedings. We have been working very closely with the HSE on this matter over a number of years and will continue to do so.”
A court date has yet to be confirmed.
In August 2017, the CQC rated SaTH ‘Requires Improvement’ for safety, responsive and well-led.
