Hospital trusts

NHS organisations cover some of the largest estates, with one of the greatest workforces, in London. They hold contracts worth millions of pounds with companies providing diverse goods and services. They are a major player in the local economy.

Because of their size, hospital Trusts and other NHS organisations contribute to London’s air pollution in any given local area. But their size could also be part of the solution, both through actions and expectations of the companies that supply them.

Global Action Plan’s Clean Air Hospital Framework can be used to develop a clean air action plan for Trusts to improve air quality. The framework allows organisations to self-assess progress and set ambitions on tackling air pollution in several key areas.

Additional resources

Air pollution training from North East London. Aimed at healthcare professionals, this short presentation from Dr Rachel Parker describes the impact of internal and external air pollution on health and how GPs and others can advise and support their patients. Evidence for a set of related patient top tips developed by NEL can be found here.

Impact of inhalers. London’s Children and Young People’s Asthma Pharmacy Group, a subgroup of the London Asthma Leadership and Implementation Group, have developed a leaflet on inhalers and the green agenda for professionals: Top tips for professionals in greener respiratory prescribing, available in A3 and A4 format.

For more in-depth information on air pollution and asthma for healthcare professionals, see videos from experts in this field, Professor Jonathan Grigg and Professor Stephen Holgate. Additional online content, recorded for #AskAboutAsthma, can be found here.