Chelmsford family searches for answers as former St John’s Hospital cleaner dies from asbestos-related cancer

Mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer, primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.

Lillian, who lived in Chelmsford worked at the site on Wood Street, from 1973 until 2010 when the hospital closed and local services were moved to Broomfield.

She retired in 2019. In late 2025, Lillian began experiencing chest pain and weight loss. She was diagnosed with mesothelioma which her family say came as a complete shock.

Lillian’s condition deteriorated and she died in February 2026, within months of her diagnosis. She was 89.

Law firm, Leigh Day is investigating whether asbestos was present at St John’s Hospital before it was demolished in 2012. St John’s Hospital was managed by Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, which is now part of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust. 

Lillian recalled seeing maintenance workers around the site who she thought may have disturbed asbestos. Her family’s legal team say asbestos was commonly used as a building material during the time she worked there.

It is estimated that as many as nine in 10 NHS hospitals contain asbestos. The UK banned the import, supply and use of all forms of asbestos in 1999. However, the family’s legal team say asbestos installed decades before the ban may potentially have been deteriorating and could have been releasing fibres that pose a risk to health.

In 2020, national charity Mesothelioma UK published the Mesothelioma Asbestos Guidance Study (MAGS), which highlighted the experiences of healthcare workers affected by asbestos disease whilst working in contaminated hospital buildings.

Lillian’s family are urging anyone who worked at St John's Hospital and has information about the potential presence of asbestos to contact their legal team.

Leigh Day partner, Daniel Easton, who represents Lillian's family, said:

“Lillian dedicated more than four decades of her life to working at St John’s Hospital. Her condition deteriorated very quickly, before information could be obtained about the potential presence of asbestos at the hospital, and her family are now looking for answers about how she came to be exposed.

“We know that asbestos was extensively used in the construction of hospitals across England and that many healthcare workers are affected by asbestos diseases. We would appreciate hearing from any former St John’s Hospital workers who can provide information about asbestos, the hospital environment or general working conditions during their time there.

“No detail is too small, and even seemingly minor information could be crucial in helping provide answers for Lillian’s family.”

If you can provide information that may help Leigh Day in its investigation, please email deaston@leighday.co.uk.