Crawley hospice receives more than £10,000 after caring for Horsham man

Regional hospices, including one in Crawley, have received financial support after lawyers recovered the care costs for patients who died as a result of asbestos-related cancer.

Irwin Mitchell helped recover £10,919.25 for St. Catherine’s Hospice in Malthouse Road after Colin Roth from Horsham died.

The law firm also helped hospices in Hertfordshire.

A spokesperson from the law firm said Mr Roth died of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos.

Prior to Mr Roth’s death, he had instructed asbestos-related disease experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how he came into contact with the substance - according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said, “The legal teams have now secured settlement against the clients’ former employers.

“Thanks to a previous landmark judgement 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 said its asbestos-related disease specialists Lacey St James, Emma Guy and Satpal Singh acted for the families of Mr Roth, Albert Davis and David Yeardye.

Mr Singh, an asbestos-related disease specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said, “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.

“Exposure to asbestos represents a very real danger to health and its terrible legacy continues to see hundreds of people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other related illnesses every year.”

Mr Roth’s son, Peter, 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, 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.”

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