Irwin Mitchell Recovers Costs For Hospices Who Delivered Vital End Of Life Care For Patients With Asbestos-Related Disease

Three regional hospices have received vital financial support, after lawyers recovered the care costs for three patients who died as a result of asbestos-related cancer.

The funds are made up of £7,072 for Isabel Hospice in Welwyn Garden City, following the death of David Yeardye from Hertfordshire who died in August 2017; £1,444.80 for Rennie Grove Hospice in Hertfordshire following the death of Albert Davis and £10,919.25 for St. Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, after Colin Roth from Horsham, West Sussex died.

All three men died from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos, often decades previously. Prior to their death, the trio instructed asbestos-related disease experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how they came into contact with the substance.

The legal teams have now secured settlement against the clients’ former employers. Thanks to a previous landmark judgment secured by Irwin Mitchell, it has been possible to recover £19,436 for the vital help and assistance the men and their families received from their respective hospices.

Irwin Mitchell’s asbestos-related disease specialists Lacey St James, Emma Guy and Satpal Singh acted for the families of Colin Roth, Albert Davis and David Yeardye respectively.

Expert Opinion

“Sadly David, Albert and Colin were not able to see the successful outcomes of their cases, which meant so much.

“These cases all represent a terrible period for the families concerned and the role of the hospices in providing care during this time cannot be overstated. We know it means a lot to the families, not just to secure justice for their loved ones, but to recover costs for the hospice too.

“These funds mean they can go on providing the support so many families rely on at such a traumatic time. It’s a pleasure to have been able to deliver practical outcomes that will have a positive, real life impact on the lives of other patients and their families.” Satpal Singh - Senior Associate

The funding comes at a time when many hospices have been struggling financially following the Covid-19 lockdowns, with falling incomes thanks to reduced donations and the cancelling of fundraising events due to the impact of the pandemic.

Since 2020, the Irwin Mitchell London office alone has recovered over £121,000 to support the work of hospices.

David Yeardye

Speaking about the money recovered for David Yeardye’s care, his widow, Jacqueline Yeardye said: “It was terrible to see David suffer at the end of his life and without the support of the staff of Isabel Hospice, I’m not sure we could have come through it.

“It’s a real comfort to know that the hospice will not lose out as a result of the care they gave to David. I know that he would have wanted to have done what he could to thank them for all their hard work and care and this means some good has come out of what has been such a traumatic experience.”

Adam Brockett, Head of Community and Events at Isabel Hospice, said: “It costs Isabel Hospice over £7m to run our hospice each year, and a large portion of that funding is from fundraising and gifts. To be able to continue to deliver free palliative care to our patients such as David and his family, it is essential we continue to raise significant funds every year.

“The incredible amount of £7,072 claimed on behalf of David by Irwin Mitchell to help us cover the costs of his care provided by Isabel Hospice, equates to over 250 hours of expert in-patient nursing care by our wonderful nurses.”

Albert Davis

Chantel Best, speaking about the costs recouped for her dad, Albert Davis, said: “The wonderful staff and nurses were so good to Albert, my dad. I could ring at any time day or night and be assured they would be there to help us. The staff were so kind and gentle and made the end of his life so peaceful, I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Tracey Hancock, Director of Fundraising at Rennie Grove Hospice, St Albans, said: “We’re very grateful to Irwin Mitchell solicitors for securing these funds for the family to contribute to the charity to help with the significant cost of providing our service.

“As a charity, we rely on the support of the local community to fund 87% of our annual running costs, which means we have to raise an ever increasing amount each year to provide care for local people with life-limiting illnesses. Medical health insurance claims are another way which families can use to support us to continue providing our specialist care in the community.”

Colin Roth

Speaking on behalf of his father Colin Roth, Peter Roth said: “Dad was a wonderful person and didn’t deserve to see his life cut short by mesothelioma. The nurses and team at the hospice understood what we were going through and made us as comfortable as they could. Dad said that he felt safe, which was a comfort to us all.

“They are all really special people there and the knowledge that the hospice will not lose out from caring for dad is just another weight off our mind.”

Suzanne Davis, Corporate Fundraiser at St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, West Sussex, said: “We know that many patients worry about money at the end of their lives and are concerned that their families will have what they need, and this often extends to wanting to support the work of the hospice.

“Thanks to Irwin Mitchell recovering costs, more patients will be able to have the right end of life care. It also eases the minds of patients and their families and we are always thankful for funding that allows us to care for people when they need it most.”