NHS recovery of medical costs for asbestos related disease law overruled.

Last Updated on 22nd April 2021 by Marketing

Since 2013 Wales has been in an ongoing legal dispute which is trying to force companies and their insurers to cover medical costs of staff that have been exposed to asbestos and made been made ill by the substance. Today The Supreme Court has given the decision on the bill.

The bill would have recovered costs for the NHS, spent on the treatment of asbestos related disease such as Mesothelioma and asbestosis and led to the NHS being reimbursed, gaining an extra £1million each year.

The bill was referred to the Supreme Court in 2013 after Insurance companies expressed concerns.

The Welsh Assembly believe that where an employer has been negligent in protecting the health of their employees, compensation is due and the NHS should be reimbursed for the costs for medical treatment  they covered.

The Welsh Supreme court was asked to settle the decision reaching the verdict this morning

This morning The Supreme Court ruled that that the Welsh Assembly lacked legislative competence to make the recovery of medical costs for asbestos disease in to a law and they did not have the power to make these legislations.

The bill put the insurance industry against the Welsh Assembly (WA) with the final decision by the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the The Association of British Insurers (ABI) deciding not reimbursing the NHS claiming that extra costs would outweigh the benefits to the public.

Asbestos related disease campaigners were left disappointed by the ruling from the Supreme Court with the decision meaning the bill cannot become a law.

At Armco we offer comprehensive asbestos training, visit  https://www.armcoasbestostraining.co.uk/ or call 0161 761 4424 for enquiries or to book a course.

You can also call 0161 763 3727 or visit https://www.armco.org.uk/ for information about, or to book you asbestos management or refurbishment/demolition survey.

 

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Published Feb 09, 2015

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