NHS Scotland pays millions over asbestos in hospitals

Vast sums have already been paid out, mostly in secret
Vast sums have already been paid out, mostly in secret
DOMINIC LIPINSKI / PA

Millions of pounds will be lost to the NHS in Scotland in the next few years to compensate people who have lost relatives because of asbestos in hospitals and clinics.

Vast sums have already been paid out, mostly in secret, but the cases still to settle far outnumber those that have been resolved. One claim alone, from the family of a former doctor who is now dead, is for £1.5 million.

Although many more millions of pounds have been spent on demolishing some contaminated buildings and refurbishing others, almost every health board in Scotland still has property with asbestos present and there is no deadline for its complete removal.

An investigation by The Times has also revealed the number of cases in Scotland’s biggest board