Asbestos at the General Hospital and in schools (FOI)

Request

I would like to know the following;

A

What areas of the general hospital currently have asbestos?

B

How many people have, in the last five years, had a diagnosis of an asbestos related illness? Specifically Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

C

How many people are currently being treated for an asbestos related illness? Specifically Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

D

How many people have died of an illness where asbestos was the primary cause of death or a contributory factor? Specifically Asbestosis or Mesothelioma

E

Which Primary and Secondary schools currently have asbestos?

F

Have the Education Department allocated dedicated funds for the removal of asbestos in their budget?

H

The Council of Ministers discussed the issue of mesothelioma / asbestos on Wednesday 11th July and have asked for a piece of work to be carried out on the matter.

a) What is the time frame and what was the terms of reference for the work?

b) Who is to carry out the work?

Response

A

Please see attachment which provides a list of the areas within the hospital that have asbestos.

Jersey General Hospital Asbestos Summary

B

The States of Jersey does not maintain a central disease register and is therefore unable to provide the total number of cases of asbestosis and mesothelioma diagnosed in Jersey over the last five years

C

We are able to provide the number of patients who have been admitted as an inpatient (for any reason, related or not) who had a diagnosis of asbestosis or mesothelioma.

Health and Community Services code acute inpatient diagnoses. The table below shows the total number of unique patients by year who have had an inpatient episode with a diagnosis code of either asbestosis or mesothelioma.

It is important to note that these episodes may not have been directly related to asbestosis or mesothelioma. For example, if a patient with mesothelioma was admitted for an orthopaedic trauma, they would be counted in the table below.

Fewer than five patients have a diagnosis of both asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Additional information can be found in the Channel Islands Cancer Report 2017 which was published in June 2017 and provides basic statistics on cancer in residents of the Channel Islands between 2001 and 2014. The report can be accessed here:

Channel Islands Cancer Report 2017

An updated version of the Channel Islands Cancer Report is due to be published this year.

D

There has been 19 deaths to Jersey residents since January 2013 that have mesothelioma or asbestosis listed as either a primary or contributory factor.

E

A list of the schools in Jersey that contain asbestos is set out below:

• Bel Royal Primary School & Nursery 

• D'Hautree House School

• First Tower Primary School & Nursery 

• Grainville Secondary School

• Highlands College Campus

• Highlands College Campus (D'Hautree Site) 

• Janvrin Primary School & Nursery 

• Jersey College Preparatory School

• La Moye Primary School & Nursery 

• Le Rocquier Secondary School in gym only 

• Les Landes Primary School 

• Les Quennevais Secondary School

• Mont a L'Abbe Primary School

• Rouge Bouillon Primary School & Nursery

• Springfield Primary School

• St Lawrence Primary School & Nursery

• St Luke's Primary School

• St Mary's Primary School

• St Peter's Primary School & Nursery

• St Saviour's Primary School & Nursery

• Trinity Primary School

• Victoria College

• Victoria College Preparatory School

 F

Education do not have dedicated funds for the removal of asbestos, because the removal of asbestos is a landlord responsibility (Jersey Property Holdings (JPH)). Education do however work closely with JPH to ensure corporate policy compliance, ie internal procedures are followed, refurbishment and demolition surveys are undertaken and staff are suitably trained

G

The States of Jersey Employment Board, having been made aware of the concern have requested that the Social Security Department prepare proposals on this matter. No information in relation to timeframe, resources and terms of reference have been determined. However, a response to the e-petition on this matter will be published providing more information.