Royal Berkshire Hospital was lit up in a blue light last night to raise awareness of a cancer linked to asbestos.
The #GoBlueforMeso campaign shines a light on Mesothelioma, a preventable fatal lung tumour that often rears its head decades after an individual breathes in asbestos particles.
Around 90 per cent of hospitals still have asbestos in their buildings, according to the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, who said they are launching a programme to reduce theirs.
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Mesothelioma develops after a person inhales or swallows microscopic airborne asbestos fibers.
They become lodged in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart, damaging and inflaming cells of a membrane called mesothelium, which can cause an incurable tumor to form in the membrane.
It can take between 20 and 70 years to develop, which is why deaths caused by mesothelioma peaked between 2015 and 2020, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
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