DEMANDS mounted today for health monitoring of Grenfell survivors and fire crews after research revealed more than a quarter of service responders are suffering long-term health issues.

The University of Central Lancashire analysed data available from 524 of the 628 firefighters who attended the tower block fire in 2017.

Life-changing conditions were reported by 136 of these, including 11 cases of cancer, 64 respiratory diseases, 22 neurological disorders and 66 digestive illnesses.

The study found that a majority of firefighters attending the scene were at times without respiratory protection due to the urgency of the incident. 

More than three times as many firefighters who were exposed to smoke during the incident reported digestive and respiratory diseases in the three years following, compared to those who were not exposed, it found.

Firefighters who attended Grenfell report similar health symptoms to 9/11 responders in the United States.

A health monitoring programme was set up after the World Trade Centre towers fell to help early diagnosis and treatment, but so far no similar scheme has been set up for those affected by Grenfell. 

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “This new research shows that many of the firefighters who risked their own lives are now suffering serious health effects. 

“We now have powerful evidence that firefighters were exposed to extreme levels of toxic smoke at the tower, many without any respiratory protection.

“Regular health monitoring must be rolled out across the fire and rescue service to ensure that diseases can be treated in their early stages.” 

In a statement, Grenfell United, which represents the fire’s survivors and families of the 72 victims,  noted that although £50 million had been given to the NHS to support the recovery of survivors: “No-one is able to account for where that money has gone, the health monitoring has been minimal – and no research has been carried out on survivors.”

It said survivors who requested blood samples to be taken to monitor health defects were told that it wasn’t possible and that Grenfell “was just a normal house fire.”

It added that “no-one has taken us seriously and no-one has acted, echoing the same culture that caused the fire in the first place, where we were and continue to be treated as second class citizens.”