Hospital admissions for a range of acute conditions increase in major English cities on days of higher air pollution, researchers have found.
New data released by King’s College London and the UK100 network of local leaders shows that hundreds more children and adults are suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrests or being sent to hospital for strokes or severe asthma attacks on days when air pollution levels are raised.
In total, across nine major cities, higher air pollution days trigger an additional 124 out-of hospital cardiac arrests, 231 hospitalisations for stroke and 193 children and adults hospitalised for asthma annually.
The figures represent the number by which admissions on higher pollution days were estimated to exceed admissions on lower pollution days.
Dr Heather Walton from King's said: ‘The impact of air pollution on our health has been crucial in justifying air pollution reduction policies for some time, and mostly concentrates on effects connected to life-expectancy.
'However, health studies show clear links with a much wider range of health effects.’
The research, which will be published in full in November, was released ahead of the International Clean Air Summit being hosted by London mayor Sadiq Khan.
The data shows that in London higher air pollution days are responsible for 87 more out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and 251 children or adults being hospitalised for asthma or strokes.
Mr Khan said: ‘London’s lethal air is a public health crisis - it leads to thousands of premature deaths in the capital every year, as well as stunting the development of young lungs and increasing cases of respiratory illness.’
Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England said: ‘It’s clear that the climate emergency is in fact also a health emergency.
‘Since these avoidable deaths are happening now - not in 2025 or 2050 - together we need to act now. For the NHS that is going to mean further comprehensive action building on the reduction of our carbon footprint of one fifth in the past decade. So our NHS energy use, supply chain, building adaptations and our transport will all need to change substantially.’
Higher air pollution days in Bristol are responsible for four more out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and 18 children or adults being hospitalised for asthma or strokes. However, the council’s plans to tackle illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide have been delayed again.
Bristol City Council said the Government had agreed to extend the deadline for submission of the Outline Business Case (OBC) for a clean air zone from the 30 September by five weeks. It said a report is being finalised for consideration by its cabinet on 5 November.
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