Ms Wendy Sykes formerly known as Miss Wendy Denham Staples Jones sadly died from the asbestos-related condition, mesothelioma, in August 2020. Her condition progressed quickly, and she died just over a year after her diagnosis.
It is thought that Ms Sykes may have been exposed to asbestos during her working career as an auxiliary nurse within the Crawley/Croydon areas. Ms Sykes’ family have now launched an appeal to try and trace former colleagues of Ms Sykes in the hope they can provide further information about her exposure to asbestos.
It is believed that Ms Sykes may have first been exposed to asbestos whilst working in Queens Hospital in Thornton Heath in 1979. Ms Sykes then worked in Mayday Hospital and Waddon Hospital between 1980 and 1983, and finally Cuckfield Hospital in 1983.
It is believed that Ms Sykes encountered asbestos dust and fibres when renovations and modernisations were taking place in these hospitals. Before she passed away, Ms Sykes recalled workmen removing ceilings and general demolishing within the hospitals. It is also understood that Ms Sykes had to visit the morgue in these hospitals, which was located next to the boiler room and was extremely dusty.
It is believed that Ms Sykes may have come into contact with and worked in in close proximity to the dangerous material asbestos during her employment in the above hospitals as an auxiliary nurse.
Ms Sykes’ family are keen to hear from any former colleagues from any of the above hospitals about any demolition work that was carried out during these times, the work conditions in which she worked in and any information about visiting the boiler rooms within these hospitals.
“From the information we have obtained so far it is believed that Ms Sykes could potentially have been exposed to asbestos during her employment with the hospitals mentioned. We are now trying to help her family to find former colleagues who worked with Ms Sykes so that we can gain a full understanding about where she may have been exposed to asbestos. It is important we speak with her former work colleagues to better understand the nature of her working conditions”.
Ms Sykes’ family has instructed specialist asbestos lawyers at Hugh James to investigate whether and, if so how, Ms Sykes came into contact with the hazardous material, asbestos.
