Emergency hospital admissions fell after introduction of London’s T-charge and Ulez, study suggests

Imperial College scientists analysed health records before and after introduction of air pollution reduction zones

Low emission and clean air zones attract controversy whenever they are proposed, but there is growing evidence that they work in improving air quality.

The Bradford zone was https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/07/bradford-clean-air-zone-saves-nhs-over-30000-a-month-in-first-year">followed by a reduction of about https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935125002397?via%3Dihub">25% in GP visits for heart and breathing problems and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268125001143">survey data shows that the central London zone was followed by a https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/16/low-emission-zones-successful-cutting-air-pollution-researchers-find">reduction in the likelihood of a person taking sick leave.

Now https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412026002825">analysis of health records has found emergency admissions to hospital reduced after the introduction of the https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/oct/23/london-10-pound-t-charge-comes-into-effect-toxic-car-fumes">T-charge and https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/ultra-low-emission-zone">ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) in central London.