Improving local air quality

Why clean air matters

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental risks to our health.

Poor air quality can affect every organ in the body and impact people at all stages of life. It can cause and worsen long-term conditions, and is linked to around 30,000 early deaths in the UK each year.

As a Trust, we have an important role. Our work can contribute to air pollution, but we also care for people whose health is affected by it.

What we are doing

Our joint Clean Air Plan with King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust sets out how we will reduce air pollution, raise awareness and improve the health of our patients, staff and local communities.

We are already taking action. We:

• have introduced e-bikes for neighbourhood nurses
• provide alerts to staff on days when air pollution levels are high across London
• are  helping clinicians talk to patients about air pollution by making air quality data available in our electronic patient record system (Epic)

Monitoring and improving air quality

We monitor outdoor air quality across our sites. This helps us understand pollution levels around our hospitals and other healthcare settings across London.

We are also working to reduce air pollution at our sites, including around loading bays, where emissions can be higher.