| Asbestos sufferers
The government has announced moves to speed up compensation claims for cancer sufferers struck down after being exposed to asbestos.
In a written ministerial statement, John Hutton, Work and Pensions Secretary, unveiled a series of measures to ensure those suffering from mesothelioma would receive their money before they died.
The move was widely welcomed by support groups and MPs who have long campaigned on behalf of sufferers and their families.
Mr Hutton said he was determined to find a long-term solution to the issue but interim measures to speed up the claims process would be put into action immediately.
Around 1800 people are currently diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, and as many as 2400 people could die from it annually by 2013.
But while the disease has a long latency period, people typically die within 12 to 18 months of diagnosis.
Payout boost for mesothelioma patients
HUNDREDS of workers in Swindon who are suffering from mesothelioma have been given a helping hand in speeding up compensation payouts. The Government has announced that a standard claim letter and leaflet were being developed in a bid to make settlements more quickly. Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton said his department would also work with HM Revenue and Customs to trace employers' records and the Association of British Insurers will also open a phone inquiry helpline in the autumn. .
Alimta® or with Platinol® Benefits Patients with Recurrent Mesothelioma
According to results recently published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, treatment with the chemotherapy agent Alimta® (pemetrexed) with or without the chemotherapy agent Platinol® (cisplatin) provides benefit for patients with malignant mesothelioma who have received prior therapies. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior of the chest. It is often caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. The majority of patients are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage and treatment with surgery or radiation is not an option. Patients with this disease often experience symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, pain, fatigue, and an inability to eat, which lessen their quality of life.
Victims free to sue decades later
VICTIMS of childhood sexual assault, medical negligence and workplace accidents could now sue for damages decades after the event, following a landmark High Court decision that will force former ATSIC chairman Geoff Clark to defend claims he led the 1971 pack-rape of a 16-year-old girl. Carol Stingel was "over the moon" yesterday with the court judgment clearing the way for her to sue the Aboriginal leader despite 35 years passing since the alleged attack. It will be the first time Mr Clark has had to respond to the rape allegations, as no criminal case was ever mounted and he has waged a constant battle to strike Ms Stingel's claim out of the Victorian courts. The decision significantly expands the number of cases that can now proceed even if the legal time limits for taking court action have expired.
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