GOSH patients say ‘Yeah!’ to Clean Air

Patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have helped to design and launch a project that aims to promote cleaner air around the hospital, making it a better and safer environment for patients, especially those with respiratory conditions.

The project was initiated by the Sustainability Team at GOSH and was supported by Go Create!

As part of ongoing sustainability work at the hospital, research was carried out that showed that pollution from car exhausts was  a major cause of air pollution outside the hospital. GoCreate! then asked patients and siblings on respiratory wards to explain how dirty air affects their condition and give suggestions on how they felt we could improve air quality around the hospital. The team asked children to portray their thoughts in a creative way by drawing pictures.

These pictures have now been put together to create fun walking maps from all the major stations in the area to GOSH, including places of interest, playgrounds, museums, and child-friendly cafés to enjoy on the way. The hope is that the maps will encourage people, where possible, to use public transport and finish their journeys to the hospital by walking rather than taking a taxi.

The sustainability team also set out to tackle the two main causes of air pollution outside the hospital, drivers idling in their vehicles – where engines are left on while stationary – and visitors arriving in polluting vehicles.

To reduce the incidence of vehicle idling GOSH has worked with Camden Council to turn the street into a ‘No Idling Zone’, using street signs which have been designed with the help of some of our respiratory patients. The hospital’s ambulance provider has also pledged that their drivers won’t keep their engines running while waiting outside of the hospital. We have additionally changed GOSH’s taxi providers so that we are served by companies with hybrid/electric fleets.

Brendan Rouse, Energy & Sustainability Manager at GOSH, says: “Reducing air pollution decreases the negative health impacts on everyone, but it’s even more important at GOSH where we see hundreds of patients with cardio-respiratory conditions at the largest paediatric cardio-respiratory unit in the country.”

“We hope the project will improve the air quality on Great Ormond Street and encourage more visitors to use low or zero-emission forms of transport, improving the environment for our staff and everyone who lives and works nearby. It also has the benefit of creating a more serene and pleasant welcome to the hospital.”

To support the Clean Air project, patients have also made a helpful video to explain why the project is so important to them.

Susie Hall, Head of Go Create! says: “I am always amazed how articulate and passionate our patients are on issues that are important to them – if you listen to the animation voice-over you can hear how strongly they feel and they are able to make the case for improving air quality so much better than we could!”