Mesothelioma UK has appointed a new Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Toni Fleming has been appointed as a new Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

Mesothelioma is a cancer related to exposure to asbestos and predominantly affects the lining of the lungs. The UK has the highest incidence of the disease in the world with around 2,700 people diagnosed each year.

Toni will be working alongside Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist, Louise Gilham in Kent. The new role will be fully-funded by the Mavis Nye Foundation for the first two years. The Mavis Nye Foundation was set up three years ago by Mavis Nye, the longest-living mesothelioma patient in the UK and a patient advocate for Mesothelioma UK.

Commenting on her new role, Toni said:

East Kent has a particularly high proportion of mesothelioma patients so I’m delighted to be working with Louise and the wider Mesothelioma UK team to support our patient community. I’ve been working with Mavis since her initial diagnosis and the support of her Foundation and donors has been critical in establishing this new role.

Mavis Nye said:

The Foundation came about because I was surviving longer than my diagnosis and I wanted some way to pay back for the wonderful care that I was getting from the NHS. I had run the groups on Facebook as I wanted to share all of the information that I was researching. Eleven years ago, there wasn’t so much available and searching the internet only brought up horror stories. I wanted to spread hope.

The Foundation was born and money was and still is being donated so I was able to establish my legacy. I’m really thrilled to have a Mesothelioma UK nurse in East Kent and even more thrilled that Toni accepted the post. She will take my legacy forward.

The Foundation is still having successes so we have plans for this year to follow the research grant that we awarded and we will be offering more grants in 2021. I’m alive today because of research so it really is important in the story of mesothelioma that we are all playing our part.

Toni Fleming has been a Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist since 2004 and a General Nurse since 1995. She has worked in lung cancer and palliative care throughout her career.

Image credit: Mesothelioma UK

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