Could GPs use local air quality data to help with diagnosis?

Air pollution is a public health emergency in slow motion.  

From asthma to cardiovascular disease, its burden on the UK’s healthcare system, particularly in deprived urban areas, is well established.  

But what if general practitioners (GPs) had hyperlocal, real-time and historic air quality data for each of their patients?  

Could that data help clinicians make more informed decisions, time consultations better, or even prevent acute episodes in vulnerable patients?

Over the past two years, a series of pilot schemes and studies have started to explore how air quality (AQ) data might be used more proactively within the NHS.  

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The case for clinical integration of AQ data

The clinical rationale is strong.  

Air pollution worsens symptoms and outcomes for patients with respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD, but also contributes to cardiovascular stress, strokes, and even mental health disorders.

High-pollution days can lead to spikes in GP appointments and hospital admissions.

Yet, most primary care settings operate without any real-time awareness of the local air their patients are breathing.

Manufacturers are increasingly supplying hyperlocal AQ sensors and cloud platforms capable of delivering precisely the kind of data that could inform medical decisions.  

So, how feasible is this concept? Let’s take a look at a few projects that test it out.

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What has already been tried?

London’s forecast-based alerts for GPs

In February 2024, NHS England and the Mayor of London launched a city-wide pilot that provides GPs and emergency departments with email alerts when air pollution is forecast to hit dangerous levels.  

The alerts include public health advice and clinical prompts, such as encouraging asthma patients to adjust medication or avoid strenuous outdoor activity.

This marks the first coordinated attempt to embed air quality forecasting into NHS primary care response mechanisms.  

Early feedback suggests the system is helpful for planning consultations and giving more timely patient advice, especially for those with long-term respiratory conditions.

The Islington GP toolkit pilot

A smaller, more grassroots pilot in Islington (2022–23) saw a group of GPs, nurses, and pharmacists receive training in air pollution’s health effects, alongside handheld AQ monitors.  

The project, led by the charity Global Action Plan with support from Islington Council, encouraged clinicians to walk with patients and assess their exposure en route to surgeries or pharmacies.

This direct use of monitoring equipment in clinical settings helped inform a toolkit now being developed for potential rollout in other boroughs.  

The emphasis was not just on data, but on enabling a cultural shift in how primary care thinks about environmental determinants of health.  

Sensors in hospitals and surgeries

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has piloted the use of outdoor air quality displays in hospital waiting rooms, as part of the AWAIR project.  

These provide live readings of PM₂.₅ and NO₂ levels from nearby monitors, aiming to boost public awareness and help staff make day-to-day operational decisions, such as when to open windows or time outdoor patient transfers.

Elsewhere, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside has installed AQ sensors inside and outside Royal Liverpool University Hospital.  

These sensors feed data into clinical service planning tools, enabling adjustments like rescheduling outpatient clinics to avoid peak pollution periods.  

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What’s missing?

While alerts and displays are a step forward, no NHS region has yet integrated real-time AQ data directly into electronic health records (EHRs) or GP dashboards in a way that informs decision-making at the point of care.  

This is where the instrumentation sector could step in, offering APIs, secure cloud platforms, and alerting systems designed for interoperability with existing clinical software.

Beyond technology, clinician engagement remains essential.  

Pilots show that when doctors understand how to interpret AQ data and act on it, they’re far more likely to use it.  

This means any future schemes must include training, clinical guidance, and patient-facing resources.

So, could it scale?

A national rollout would require close collaboration between AQ data providers, public health teams, NHS Digital, and system suppliers like EMIS and TPP.  

But the rewards could be significant: better health outcomes, reduced emergency admissions, and a more climate-conscious health service aligned with NHS England’s Net Zero targets.

Moreover, as air quality awareness increases, driven by both public campaigns and legal action, such as the landmark case of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, there is growing pressure on the NHS to recognise air pollution not just as an environmental issue, but a clinical one.

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The NHS is beginning to take air pollution seriously, and the use of AQ monitoring data in clinical practice is gaining momentum.  

But there’s still a long way to go before this data becomes a standard part of diagnosis and care in general practice.

For the instrumentation community, this represents a major opportunity.  

Whether through sensor deployment, data integration, or user-friendly visualisation, monitoring professionals have the tools to help clinicians act on one of the most insidious threats to population health.