There were over 1,700 hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions in the capital over two years due to toxic air, new analysis has revealed.
Researchers from Imperial College London found dangerous levels of air pollution led to over 1,700 hospital admissions for asthma and COPD between 2017 and 2019. Over the same period, air pollution was responsible for 7% of all asthma admissions of children in London.
However, it found that improvements in air pollution levels between 2014 and 2019 reduced the number of hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions by 30%.
The mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the figures are a 'stark reminder’ the harm dangerous air pollution can cause to people's health.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'London's toxic air is damaging people's health, which is leading to many hospitalisations. This new analysis is another stark reminder that air pollution is damaging the health of Londoners right across our city, and that we must do everything possible to protect children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions from our filthy air.
'We have already made great progress in London in cutting air pollution and carbon emissions, but there’s clearly a long way to go and we can’t put off further action to protect the health of Londoners.'
Figures show that 16% of major roads in London still exceed the legal limits for nitrogen dioxide, while every hospital and care home is in areas which exceed limits for toxic air pollution.
