The popular Sunday evening programme Call The Midwife originally aired in 2012 set in 1957 Poplar, East London. Throughout the 13 series since, the BBC show has addressed countless economic, political, and healthcare-related issues that affected the East End in post-war London.
In the most recent episode, aired on Sunday, 11th February 2024, the show introduced a working mother, Gladys, who, after presenting with stomach cramps, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
Whilst asbestos exposure was widespread during this period, with workers coming into contact with the substance daily whilst working on docks, in construction, as a boilermaker, lagger or trawlerman, it was only during this period that for the first time, children and wives of the men working were presenting with symptoms of asbestos-related diseases.
In the episode, Gladys is insistent that she has never been exposed to the substance; however, she later revealed that her father would drill into asbestos for work and then go home, wearing his overalls, and put his daughter to bed.
As a result, Gladys would breathe in harmful asbestos fibres, resulting in a diagnosis of asbestos-related cancer.
Throughout its 12 years, Call The Midwife has revisited asbestos and other industrial-related disease storylines, as its impact was significantly felt across London and the UK, particularly in areas close to docks.
Even though The Shipbuilding and Ship-Repairing Regulations were introduced to protect the safety, health and welfare of those employed in the construction and repair of ships in shipbuilding yards in 1960 and Britain cut the maximum exposure level of asbestos in the workplace in 1961, the latency period associated with asbestos exposure meant that many men, women and children who were exposed to the particles would not present with symptoms for many years after the exposure occurred. This would sometimes be 40, 50 or even 60 years.
Read more about the timeline of asbestos related disease here.
Cancer treatment has improved drastically since the 1960s, and even though there, in many cases, is still no cure, treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation now often allow for far more positive prognoses than in the 20th Century. We saw Gladys enter a clinical trial, despite initial trepidations, as it was possible that it would lengthen her life expectancy.
Making a Claim for Asbestos-related Disease
All types of asbestos were finally banned in the UK in 1999. Nevertheless, cases of asbestos-related disease continue to present themselves frequently. This is not only due to exposure that would have occurred before the ban in the late nineties but also due to the substance continuing to exist in many buildings across the country.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, it is vital that you seek the advice of an experienced industrial disease solicitor. Asbestos Awareness is a site dedicated to providing information and spreading awareness of asbestos-related diseases in the UK.
To speak to an experienced solicitor today, please contact Bridge McFarland LLP (owner of Asbestos Awareness) on 0800 987 8809. Alternatively, you can email enquiries@bmcf.co.uk.
