Asbestos remains widespread in London’s NHS buildings

Hundreds of NHS buildings across London still contain asbestos, according to a new survey for the TUC and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health.

Undertaken by the Labour Research Department, the study found the deadly fibre was still present in the majority of NHS premises more than 23 years since its use was banned in new buildings. This included hospitals, health centres, blood donor clinics and GP surgeries.

During the first half of 2022, it found at least 451 premises in the capital still contained asbestos.

The TUC accused the Tory government of neglecting its responsibility to provide safe workplaces in public buildings and “turning a blind eye” to the extent of asbestos still present. It repeated its call for new laws to require the removal of all asbestos from public buildings, rather than the current policy of “managing” it.

And the union body said that a future Labour government should include asbestos removal as part of a large-scale retrofit programme of all public buildings, funded by its Climate Investment Pledge.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from all workplaces and public buildings.”

He added that national government needs to work with local authorities on a plan “to remove it from every last building”.