British Meso Victims to Receive Better Care

March 1, 2007 - A campaign in Great Britain to step up medical care for victims of mesothelioma is under way, say government representatives. 

“A new framework will improve the structures that are already in place for mesothelioma patients and provide advice to the National Health Service (NHS) on how to organize services in order to improve quality of care,” says an article posted on inthenews.co.uk. 

The need to improve services was prompted by recently released reports which note that cases of mesothelioma in the UK will peak in the next ten years.  Currently, about 1,800 new cases of mesothelioma are reported in England each year, adds the article, and nearly all are fatal.

Health minister Rosie Winterton is due to launch the new “National Mesothelioma Framework” at an event held at Gateshead Millennium Bridge, in conjunction with Britain’s Action Mesothelioma Day on February 27th.

"Mesothelioma can be a challenging condition for the NHS to diagnose and manage, especially as the number of cases varies around the country so that, in some areas, it is a rare condition," Ms. Winterton said.

"It is important that we work to improve quality of care to a uniformly high level across the country. With a potential peak of cases less than ten years away, we have a window of opportunity now to ensure that the NHS has done all it can to provide a high quality service for all mesothelioma patients."

"This initiative will help to ensure that people with this cruel disease now have a better chance of receiving the best treatment and care," added Dame Helena Shovelton, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, sponsors of Action Mesothelioma Day.