Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to our health and contributes to up to 38,000 deaths a year in the UK, placing the most vulnerable in our communities at the most risk. As outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan, cleaning up our air is a key mechanism to improve the health of our communities and move from sickness to prevention.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals and Northumbria Healthcare attended the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Air Pollution Event in November 2025 to showcase the project they have been collaborating on. This project involved a review of sites at both trusts against the Global Action Plan ‘Clean Air Hospitals Framework’ and installing small, low-cost tubes called diffusion tubes at outdoor locations at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Freeman Hospital and Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.
The air quality monitoring will be ongoing across all sites, and when concluded, will provide important indicative data to support where targeted action can be taken to reduce air pollution.
The event was a fantastic opportunity to present the work and demonstrate action to be taken to reduce air pollution and exposure to this. Take a look at the poster presentation below:
Small, simple actions like avoiding idling your car engine can help improve air quality. We expanded our No Idling commitment this summer to tackle air pollution as a as a region. Read about it here: NHS trusts join forces to sign no idling commitment outside of emergency departments.
