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| Night shifts spark cancer pay-out | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Kenneth Macdonald BBC Scotland Special Correspondent | By Kenneth Macdonald BBC Scotland Special Correspondent |
| Ulla Mahnkopf: 'When I stopped flying it was like coming out of a...shell' | Ulla Mahnkopf: 'When I stopped flying it was like coming out of a...shell' |
| The Danish government has begun paying compensation to women who have developed breast cancer after long spells working nights. | The Danish government has begun paying compensation to women who have developed breast cancer after long spells working nights. |
| It follows a ruling by a United Nations agency that night shifts probably increase the risk of developing cancer. | It follows a ruling by a United Nations agency that night shifts probably increase the risk of developing cancer. |
| BBC Radio Scotland's The Investigation has been hearing from experts and union leaders in Scotland who said the UK government should be doing more to tackle the dangers. | BBC Radio Scotland's The Investigation has been hearing from experts and union leaders in Scotland who said the UK government should be doing more to tackle the dangers. |
| For years there has been growing evidence that night shifts are bad for you. | For years there has been growing evidence that night shifts are bad for you. |
| Among the symptoms: disturbed sleep, fatigue, digestive problems and a greater risk of accidents at work. | Among the symptoms: disturbed sleep, fatigue, digestive problems and a greater risk of accidents at work. |
| But these are the first government payments to women who have developed breast cancer after long spells on the night shift. | But these are the first government payments to women who have developed breast cancer after long spells on the night shift. |
| Ulla Mahnkopf is one of those who has been compensated. | Ulla Mahnkopf is one of those who has been compensated. |
| Long hours | Long hours |
| She spent 30 years as a flight attendant for the big Scandinavian airline SAS. | She spent 30 years as a flight attendant for the big Scandinavian airline SAS. |
| Long hours and disturbed working patterns came with the territory. | Long hours and disturbed working patterns came with the territory. |
| Then she developed breast cancer. | Then she developed breast cancer. |
| "It was awful telling my kids that, telling them what we were facing," she told me. | "It was awful telling my kids that, telling them what we were facing," she told me. |
| "It's not just the surgery but all the thoughts - do I survive this? I had bilateral cancer so not just one breast, two breasts." | "It's not just the surgery but all the thoughts - do I survive this? I had bilateral cancer so not just one breast, two breasts." |
| At first she did not make the connection between her cancer and night working. | At first she did not make the connection between her cancer and night working. |
| She said: "I had no idea. | She said: "I had no idea. |
| "But when you think back now I can see that when I stopped flying it was like coming out of a shell, I had been living in there because of jet lag and I can see now I had a totally different life." | "But when you think back now I can see that when I stopped flying it was like coming out of a shell, I had been living in there because of jet lag and I can see now I had a totally different life." |
| "The level of evidence is really no different than it might be for an industrial chemical Dr Vincent Cogliano So far almost 40 Danish women have won compensation. | "The level of evidence is really no different than it might be for an industrial chemical Dr Vincent Cogliano So far almost 40 Danish women have won compensation. |
| Not every case was successful: women who had a family history of breast cancer were among the ones whose claims were rejected. | Not every case was successful: women who had a family history of breast cancer were among the ones whose claims were rejected. |
| The Danish authorities acted following a finding by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the UN's World Health Organisation. | The Danish authorities acted following a finding by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the UN's World Health Organisation. |
| The IARC studies and ranks cancer risks. | The IARC studies and ranks cancer risks. |
| Category One risks are known carcinogens such as asbestos. Night working now sits just one rung below that: a probable cause of cancer. | Category One risks are known carcinogens such as asbestos. Night working now sits just one rung below that: a probable cause of cancer. |
| Dr Vincent Cogliano of the IARC said they reached their conclusion after looking at a wide number of studies of both humans and animals. | Dr Vincent Cogliano of the IARC said they reached their conclusion after looking at a wide number of studies of both humans and animals. |
| He said there was evidence to support the hypothesis that alterations in sleep patterns could suppress the production of melatonin in the body. | He said there was evidence to support the hypothesis that alterations in sleep patterns could suppress the production of melatonin in the body. |
| "Melatonin has some beneficial effects in preventing some of the steps leading to cancer," he said. | "Melatonin has some beneficial effects in preventing some of the steps leading to cancer," he said. |
| "The level of evidence is really no different than it might be for an industrial chemical." | "The level of evidence is really no different than it might be for an industrial chemical." |
| Here in the UK unions estimate about 20% of the national workforce is involved in night shifts. | Here in the UK unions estimate about 20% of the national workforce is involved in night shifts. |
| Margaret Ann Hancock from Edinburgh was like many parents who take on the night shift: she needed the extra money and had a young family to care for. | Margaret Ann Hancock from Edinburgh was like many parents who take on the night shift: she needed the extra money and had a young family to care for. |
| When she started work at the former Leith Hospital in the 1980s, her shift pattern allowed her to take her three children to nursery when she got home, sleeping just a few hours before picking them up again. | When she started work at the former Leith Hospital in the 1980s, her shift pattern allowed her to take her three children to nursery when she got home, sleeping just a few hours before picking them up again. |
| At the time, she said, tiredness and disrupted meals seemed a reasonable price to pay: "I felt like I battled time continually. | At the time, she said, tiredness and disrupted meals seemed a reasonable price to pay: "I felt like I battled time continually. |
| "There's only so much you can get done in a day. | "There's only so much you can get done in a day. |
| "And because I did split nights, I often wasn't sleeping until the following day. Margaret Ann Hancock worked night shifts with three children at nursery | "And because I did split nights, I often wasn't sleeping until the following day. Margaret Ann Hancock worked night shifts with three children at nursery |
| "My sleeping patterns, even now, my eating patterns - that side of it is still with me." | "My sleeping patterns, even now, my eating patterns - that side of it is still with me." |
| It was during her time at Leith hospital that she developed breast cancer, undergoing a lumpectomy, radium treatment and chemotherapy. | It was during her time at Leith hospital that she developed breast cancer, undergoing a lumpectomy, radium treatment and chemotherapy. |
| At the time, she said she would never have dreamt that there could have been a connection between her disease and her night work. | At the time, she said she would never have dreamt that there could have been a connection between her disease and her night work. |
| But now that she knows it is a possibility, as a breast cancer survivor, she has a clear message for other women who may find themselves in her position: "You should have a choice whether or not to do nights. | But now that she knows it is a possibility, as a breast cancer survivor, she has a clear message for other women who may find themselves in her position: "You should have a choice whether or not to do nights. |
| "If I knew then what I know now...you would be better, if there is an alternative. | "If I knew then what I know now...you would be better, if there is an alternative. |
| "Because if it's risking your health, there's nothing worth that." | "Because if it's risking your health, there's nothing worth that." |
| Professor Andrew Watterson, an occupational health specialist at Stirling University, said we are far behind Scandinavia in recognising the dangers. | Professor Andrew Watterson, an occupational health specialist at Stirling University, said we are far behind Scandinavia in recognising the dangers. |
| "I think we can say there is a big public health problem here," he said. | "I think we can say there is a big public health problem here," he said. |
| "The evidence has been good over a long period of time about cardiovascular disease and night work, gastro-intestinal problems and nights. | "The evidence has been good over a long period of time about cardiovascular disease and night work, gastro-intestinal problems and nights. |
| "Work indicates there may be risks in terms of low birth-weight babies and longer pregnancies for women. | "Work indicates there may be risks in terms of low birth-weight babies and longer pregnancies for women. |
| "We don't tend to identify the damage being done where shift working is prevalent and I think that's an error. The damage is there but we don't see it and we don't count it." | "We don't tend to identify the damage being done where shift working is prevalent and I think that's an error. The damage is there but we don't see it and we don't count it." |
| At the Health and Safety Executive, chief medical officer Dr John Osmond said they were aware of the debate and have commissioned their own research. | At the Health and Safety Executive, chief medical officer Dr John Osmond said they were aware of the debate and have commissioned their own research. |
| "The HSE has been very on the ball in this area and has commissioned a very eminent epidemiologist to examine the risk of working at night and whether there is any link to breast cancer. This report will be completed in 2011." | "The HSE has been very on the ball in this area and has commissioned a very eminent epidemiologist to examine the risk of working at night and whether there is any link to breast cancer. This report will be completed in 2011." |
| But assistant general secretary of the Scottish TUC, Ian Tasker, thinks the UK is lagging behind. | But assistant general secretary of the Scottish TUC, Ian Tasker, thinks the UK is lagging behind. |
| He fears workers may be missing out on health checks to which they are entitled under the existing law. | He fears workers may be missing out on health checks to which they are entitled under the existing law. |
| Greater awareness | Greater awareness |
| "I don't think we have enough evidence to say they're not," he said. | "I don't think we have enough evidence to say they're not," he said. |
| "But we have a feeling that perhaps employers are taking the opportunity to ensure these health checks are not carried out or, if they are, it's very much a tick-box approach to it." | "But we have a feeling that perhaps employers are taking the opportunity to ensure these health checks are not carried out or, if they are, it's very much a tick-box approach to it." |
| In the meantime unions are calling for a greater awareness of the dangers of night shifts. | In the meantime unions are calling for a greater awareness of the dangers of night shifts. |
| But for some workers, such as Ulla Mahnkopf, that is already too late. | But for some workers, such as Ulla Mahnkopf, that is already too late. |
| She said she would have given up her job if she had known the dangers. | She said she would have given up her job if she had known the dangers. |
| "I wouldn't have been flying for that many years, definitely not. Because it's cancer you can die from. So I would like to stay alive." | "I wouldn't have been flying for that many years, definitely not. Because it's cancer you can die from. So I would like to stay alive." |
| The Investigation was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland at 0900 GMT on Monday. |