Urban Crisis, Urban Hope: A Policy Agenda for UK Cities by Julian Dobson & Rowland Atkinson

Author:Julian Dobson & Rowland Atkinson [Dobson, Julian & Atkinson, Rowland]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781785274695
Goodreads: 52568693
Publisher: Anthem Press
Published: 2020-06-19T00:00:00+00:00

The Impact on Health Services

The rise in the number of people with poor health outcomes as a result of poor urban air quality places a heavy burden on health and social care services (both primary and secondary). Factors such as increased hospital admissions and accident and emergency visits compound the burden on scarce resources and healthcare professionals. Research from Kings College London and Imperial College found that on average four people in London (including one child) are hospitalised every day due to asthma caused by air pollution. Poor air quality leads to roughly one thousand hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions in London each year.8 It also adds to the demand for appointments with GPs and specialists who are the first point of contact for those with severe pollution-related health problems. The greatest burdens will be on health services in the most deprived urban areas, adding to the stress on services for all patients in these locations. The financial burden for the NHS runs into billions: the House of Commons Environment Audit Committee stated that the cost of health impacts of poor air quality was likely to exceed estimates of £8–20 billion.9

Overall, the public health effects of urban inequalities continue to be exacerbated by deep-rooted racial structures. The intersection between air pollution, health and socio-economic inequalities is not new, but raises important questions about disparities in public health. The fact that those living in the most deprived areas experience worse air quality10 creates a divide in society and entrenches environmental injustices, adding to the pressures on primary and secondary health services.

While it is challenging to reduce the changes required to three ideas, even one change, however small, could have long-term positive impacts. Below I recommend three actionable ideas to improve community well-being, which I then explain further.

1.Work towards dismantling structural inequalities

2.Encourage diversity in ‘White spaces’

3.Educate people on how to fight for basic human rights

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.