Quarter of hospitals have air pollution at dangerous levels

Analysis of official data has revealed that more than ten million patients a year are exposed to a dangerous level of air pollution when they visit hospital.

The research, carried out by the British Lung Foundation and UK 100, a group of city mayors and council leaders, found that 248 hospitals across Britain (17 per cent) exceed the World Health Organisation limit of 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air (mcg/m3). A quarter of hospitals in England are in areas that exceed the limit for toxic fine particles recommended by WHO.

Lowestoft Hospital in Suffolk fared the worst, according to the analysis, with average annual levels of 16.18μg/m3, whilst London was named as the worst region affected, with 72 per cent of hospitals breaching guidelines. Additionally, 36 per cent of hospitals in the East Midlands are above limits, and nearly a third (32.5 per cent) in the East of England.

The study also shows that Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, London, Nottingham, Hull, Chelmsford and Southampton have at least one large NHS trust that is located in an area with unsafe levels of pollution. This means that two of the biggest children’s hospitals in Britain, Great Ormond Street in central London and Birmingham Children’s Hospital, are in areas where pollution levels are deemed unsafe by the WHO.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: “Air pollution causes thousands of avoidable hospital admissions and early deaths every year, and affects more than 2,000 GP surgeries and hospitals. That is why the NHS is committed to playing our part – cutting emissions from the NHS fleet by 20 per cent by 2024, cutting our reliance on fossil fuels for power, and reforming services to reduce the number of visits that people need to make to hospital.

“But although the NHS can take practical steps to reduce our impact on the environment, as well as treating those suffering the consequences of poor air, we can’t win this fight alone, so the growing consensus on the need for wider action across society is welcome.”