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Illegal levels of toxic air blight 70% of medical centres in central London

Seven in 10 hospitals and health centres are in inner London areas blighted by illegal levels of toxic air: Jeremy Selwyn
Seven in 10 hospitals and health centres are in inner London areas blighted by illegal levels of toxic air: Jeremy Selwyn

Seven in 10 hospitals and health centres are in inner London areas blighted by illegal levels of toxic air, it can be revealed today.

An analysis to mark the first National Clean Air Day earlier this month found that 577 were in areas where nitrogen dioxide levels breached EU guidelines.

In addition, all 800 facilities were in areas where the level of PM10 particulates was above the World Health Organisation limit.

The extent of pollution around health facilities emerged in an analysis by King’s College London and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, being published in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers, led by Pauline Castres at the health alliance and Dr David Dajnak at King’s, write: “The fact that air pollution is harming patients’ health at the hospital doorstep is unacceptable.”

Hospitals in toxic air areas include UCLH in Euston Road, Great Ormond Street in Bloomsbury, St Thomas’ in Lambeth and St Mary’s in Paddington.

The researchers called for a “series of hard-hitting measures”, such as the ultra low emission zone proposed by Mayor Sadiq Khan. It will levy a £12.50 charge on the most polluting vehicles entering the congestion charge zone from April 2019.

“The new data analysis is additional proof that London’s air is toxic and harms the most vulnerable of us,” they said. “Because we cannot remove schools and hospitals from our city centres, it is urgent that we rethink our current transport model.”

It can also be revealed that the NHS has no internal alert system for air pollution and has to rely on Tweets issued by a specialist Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs account, @DefraUKAir.

There have been 27 air pollution episodes since a 10-day incident in March and April 2014 that resulted in the deaths of 300 people and the admission to hospital of 1,600, a freedom of information response has found.

Obtained by Green peer Jenny Jones, it suggests that Public Health England has been far less ready to warn the public about toxic air than hot weather.

Baroness Jones said: “I find it staggering that the NHS has a plan for hot and cold weather, but no plan for air pollution episodes.

“Those thousands in need of emergency care are the tip of the iceberg, as a far larger number are undoubtedly attending GP surgeries, ringing up health lines and reaching for their asthma inhalers.

It is criminal neglect by ministers who have lost two court cases over their inadequate plans to protect the health of citizens.

We can’t act to make it cooler during a heatwave, or warmer during a freeze, but we can make it less polluted in hotspot areas by encouraging people to drive less and use public transport instead.”

Parents who keep their car engines running while outside school gates face a crackdown in 15 boroughs.

Waltham Forest is one of a number of boroughs starting “anti-idling” patrols. Nitrogen dioxide toxins at eight schools, nurseries, after-school clubs and further education centres in Waltham Forest exceed safe legal limits of 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air, an investigation by Greenpeace found.

Drivers who refuse to turn off their engines can be given £20 fixed penalty notices.