This In Focus note provides an examination of air pollution in the UK, and its reported impact on public health.
Air Quality and Health in the UK (80 KB , PDF)
A new study from King’s College London indicated that air pollution in London is now at levels which are more detrimental to health than previously thought, amounting to a ‘mortality burden’ of the equivalent of nearly 9,500 people per year. The World Health Organisation notes that there is an established link between air pollution and increased risk of disease and premature mortality, and the Government’s own data reveal that air pollution in some areas of the UK—such as London, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire—is in breach of legal limits. According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the biggest human-made sources of fine particulates and nitrogen dioxide—pollutants which have been identified as having significant negative impacts on human health in the UK—are stationary fuel combustion and transport.
Air Quality and Health in the UK (80 KB , PDF)
The new Labour government has committed to the expansion of offshore wind energy. This commitment has been welcomed by the offshore energy industry and by environmental organisations. However, concerns remain about how these plans might be achieved in practice while maintaining and improving the marine environment. This briefing considers some of the potential obstacles to achieving the expansion in offshore wind.
Between 1970 and the early 1990s, over 30,000 NHS patients were given blood transfusions, or treatments made using blood products, which were contaminated with hepatitis C or HIV. Over 3,000 people have since died, and thousands more live with health conditions. The infected blood inquiry called for immediate compensation, public memorials, and for lessons to be learned in medicine, government and the civil service. In August 2024 the government set out plans for compensation.
Vaginal mesh implants are used to repair damaged internal tissue. However, many women receiving these implants have experienced severe complications. In 2020, an independent review recommended establishing a compensation scheme for the women affected. The Conservative government rejected this recommendation, saying its focus would be on improving product safety. However, calls for redress have continued, with a subsequent review in 2024 also recommending the establishment of a compensation scheme.
