The GPs with the highest number of people receiving care for asthma are in outer London boroughs, according to new analysis from charity Asthma + Lung UK.
The data reveals 24 out of the 30 GP surgeries with the highest rates of asthma prevalence are in outer London.1 The charity also found 70% of these surgeries are within just one mile of some of the busiest roads in the capital, including the A40, A127, and A41. These main roads, like so many others in London, currently exceed annual air quality levels set by the World Health Organization. The data shows a vast majority of the GP surgeries (80%) are not currently in the capital’s ULEZ scheme.
Ealing came top for asthma prevalence of all the London boroughs. Nearly a quarter (23%) of the top 30 GP practices in London were in Southall, Ealing. Hillingdon and Sutton followed as the local authorities with the highest number of people registered at GP practices who are receiving care for their asthma.
Road traffic is responsible for over 40% London’s air pollution.2 Cars emit the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide and fine particles known as PM2.5, which are small enough to travel deep into our lungs and can result in stunted lung growth in children. To gauge air pollution’s impact, our analysis mapped the GP practices against their proximity to busy roads, within 2-miles or less, using the Government's air pollution modelling data.3
Continuing health inequalities in the capital were also highlighted. Asthma + Lung UK found that 6 of the top 10 GP surgeries with the highest asthma rates were near polluted roads and have a larger proportion of children experiencing income deprivation compared to the London average.
This tallies with recent research which shows lower-income Londoners and people from an ethnic minority background are more likely to live in areas with toxic air.4
Air pollution is a public health emergency which contributes to up to 43,000 premature deaths every year in the UK.5 While toxic air alone doesn’t cause asthma, it can worsen and trigger symptoms including wheezing, and sometimes leads to life-threatening asthma attacks. Almost 1 in 3 Londoners that we recently surveyed with asthma told us that their symptoms were made worse by the city’s toxic air.6
The high prevalence of asthma in these areas of the capital can also be explained in part by provision and access to care as well as socio-economic factors.
Rosa Appleby Alis is a mum in South Ealing whose 5-year-old son, Max, has been in and out of A&E with asthma symptoms since he was 8 months old.
Rosa said: “Asthma is relentless – my son’s symptoms have meant over 26 trips to A&E since he was a baby including several days in a high-dependency unit. We live near the A4 and the north circular, and the air pollution caused by the constant traffic has certainly had an impact and made his breathing worse. We really noticed it on a recent trip to Wales as Max’s asthma totally cleared up for the week we were there only to return when we got back home. I know many local parents who have children with asthma and share my concerns about the poor air quality in Ealing. We must act fast to address the issue of air pollution for the sake of so many children like Max.”
Sarah Woolnough, CEO of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “This new analysis gives us a more detailed picture of what is happening on the ground at GP surgeries across the capital. It is clear from the data that GPs in the outer boroughs are treating a high number of people with asthma and that many of these surgeries are currently outside the ULEZ zone and within a stone’s throw of some of the capital’s most polluted A-roads. Breathing polluted air is particularly dangerous for the estimated 585.000 people [7] currently living with asthma or COPD in the capital as poor air quality and fumes from cars can quickly inflame airways and trigger symptoms.
“This is where the planned ULEZ expansion in outer London can make a difference – it’s one of the bold steps we need to clean up the capital’s toxic air. Air pollution blights so many lives and puts the most vulnerable people at risk, impacting their everyday lives, whether it’s walking to school or going to work. If we’re going to stop another generation of Londoners growing up breathing in potentially lethal levels of toxic air, then we need to act now.”
Virendra Sharma MP for Ealing, Southall, said: “I am concerned for the thousands of people in my constituency who live with asthma and for whom dangerous levels of air pollution can be life-threatening. This new analysis shows that the majority of the GP practices in Southall are located close to busy roads that currently exceed World Health Organization guidelines on air quality.
“Air pollution is a social justice issue that disproportionately impacts Black, Asian and minority ethnic people who are also more likely to live in areas with poor air quality. We must act now to address this public health emergency.”
Councillor Deirdre Costigan, Deputy Leader of Ealing Council and Cabinet member for Climate Action, said: “The data revealed by Asthma + Lung UK demonstrates the link between busy roads and the prevalence of asthma. In recognition of this Ealing Council is publishing our new Air Quality Strategy which includes spending over £10m on active travel, providing more bike hangars at the cheapest rate in London and installing hundreds of electric vehicle charging points.
“On a London-wide level, the mayor’s ULEZ scheme should help tackle the 160 deaths from air pollution in our borough and I’m glad the mayor has expanded the scrappage scheme to include families with children and all small businesses.”
To write to your MP and ask for their continued support of the ULEZ expansion, visit https://action.asthmaandlung.org.uk/page/121613/action/1
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Notes to Editors
| Table 1: Top 3 GPs with highest asthma prevalence across London | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
GP |
Asthma Prevalence |
Local Authority |
Distance from Main Road (Miles) |
|
Meadow View |
10.7% |
Ealing |
1 mile |
|
Camden Health Improvement Practice |
9.8% |
Camden |
0.3 miles |
|
Nursing Home Services |
8.6% |
Ealing |
1 mile |
| Table 2: Number of GPs with highest asthma prevalence by local authority (top 30 surgeries) | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Local Authority (LA) |
Frequency of GPs with highest Asthma prevalence by LA |
Rank |
|
Ealing |
10 (33%) |
1 |
|
Hillingdon |
4 (13%) |
2 |
|
Sutton |
3 (10%) |
3 |
1. GP practice level data in London analysed by Asthma + Lung UK https://files.digital.nhs.uk/74/5A4200/qof-2122-prev-ach-pca-resp-prac.xlsx
Asthma + Lung UK analysed the publicly available data of 1033 GP surgeries across London published by NHS Digital and ranked the top 30 GP practices with highest prevalence of asthma in London in 2021/22. The GP source data includes adults and children.
This data was then cross-referenced with the local authority, ward, whether the surgery is in Inner or Outer London, currently in the ULEZ according to postcode, parliamentary constituency and its proximity to the nearest major road. The modelled annual average of air pollution levels on nearby roads was also matched to the GP surgery and level of deprivation at ward level.
2. London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI) (2019)
https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory--laei--2019
3. DEFRA annual mean Modelled Roadside pollution (2021)
4. Air Pollution and Inequalities in London: 2019 Update
5. UKHSA (2022) Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report Issue 28 – June 2022. Reducing health harms associated with air pollution
6. Asthma + Lung UK Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2023
7. Quality and Outcomes Framework 2021-22