The SoR and the Occupational Safety and Health All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) have called jointly on the government to lift the cap on freedom of information (FOI) requests.
The current limit prevents government departments from responding to requests that would cost more than £450 to fulfil. This is preventing scrutiny, hindering research and obstructing efforts to protect NHS staff from asbestos-related risks, the SoR warned.
In a joint letter to Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, Rhys Martin, the SoR health and safety policy officer, and Ian Lavery MP, the chair of the Occupational Safety and Health APPG, called for a review of the FOI cost restriction.
Safe removal of asbestos is imperative
Martin said: “Asbestos should have no place in our hospitals. The UK accounts for one of the highest age-adjusted mortality rates globally for mesothelioma [a type of lung cancer that can be caused by exposure to asbestos] and healthcare workers are on the front line treating those affected by it. The call for a change in policy on FOI requests is designed to enable us, as a union movement, to access information to equip us with the evidence to push forward the argument that planned, safe removal of asbestos from every healthcare building is imperative.”
He continued: “We at the SoR will continue to work with union colleagues, charities, the APPG and the National Asbestos Taskforce to ensure NHS staff, patients, contractors and visitors are not left at risk.”
The SoR has made requests for information from the NHS Pension Scheme, which records the causes of death and retirement due to ill health of its members. This information is vital for identifying patterns, risks and potential systemic issues, the SoR explained in its letter. Without access to data, it is impossible to build an accurate picture of asbestos-related harm among healthcare workers, it said.
Asbestos-containing materials remain within parts of the NHS estate, creating a risk to health whenever they are damaged, deteriorate or are disturbed during maintenance and refurbishment.
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