London Air Quality and Health Programme Office

Description of impact

Case summary
The London Air Quality and Health Programme Office was established in 2022 as a
collaboration between the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Office for Health
Improvements and Disparities (OHID), NHS England – London (NHSE) and Greater
London Authority (GLA) to support the delivery of the recommendations of the
Prevention of Future Deaths report. This multi-agency partnership seeks to ensure
joined-up action on air pollution across the health and care sector to protect the
health and wellbeing of Londoners now and for future generations.
In 2020, an inquest into the death of Ella Kissi-Debrah following an asthma attack
found that air pollution “made a material contribution” to her death. The coroner’s
report highlighted three main areas of concern:
• Concern 1 – There is no safe level for Particulate Matter and legally binding
targets based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines would reduce
the number of deaths from air pollution in the UK.
• Concern 2 – There is low public awareness of the sources of information
about national and local pollution levels.
• Concern 3 – The adverse effects of air pollution on health are not being
sufficiently communicated to patients and their carers by medical and nursing
professionals.

Category of impact	Public policy impacts, Economic impacts, Health impacts, Social impacts