Extension of ULEZ may prevent almost 30,000 hospitalisations over 30 years

Hospitalisations in Waltham Forest will fall as a result of City Hall measures to tackle toxic air, including the ULEZ, says a new report by Health Lumen.

The measures could see as many as 29,821 less hospitalisations in Waltham Forest by 2050, saving £106,449,805 in costs to the NHS and social care services.

Across London, measures to tackle air quality are predicted to prevent almost 300,000 pollution related disease such as lung cancer, heart disease and dementia. This will save the NHS around £5 billion over the next three decades.

Waltham Forest London Assembly Member, Jennette Arnold OBE AM, welcomed the figures as “incredibly positive”, and called on the Government to deliver further powers to the capital to tackle toxic air.

Ms Arnold said: “Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of almost 10,000 Londoners each year, damages our children’s lung development and for those routinely exposed to it, increases the chances of dementia and heart disease.

“This is a public health emergency which disproportionately affects the poorest communities, so it is incredibly positive to get a glimpse of the far-reaching and transformative impact that City Hall’s environmental policies will have over the next 30 years.

“Bold policies such as the ULEZ, will help to prevent thousands of hospitalisations in our community and take a significant amount of strain off our already overstretched NHS and social care services.”

The Ultra Low Emission Zone was first introduced in Central London in April 2019 and will be extended to the North and South Circulars from Autumn next year

The Mayor of London’s Budget for 2020/2021, passed this, has committed £50 million to a Green New Deal for London.

Ms Arnold added: “We cannot afford to rest on our laurels and it remains the case that much more could be achieved if the Government devolved more funding and powers to City Hall to expand upon its work in cleaning up the capital’s air”.

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