The Edmonton hospital topped a list of London A&Es for the number of such cases last year, reports Raphael Henry

North Mid saw the highest number of children hospitalised with breathing difficulties in London last year, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

According to figures obtained by the charity Mums for Lungs, 14,587 children were admitted to North Middlesex University Hospital with breathing difficulties in 2024.

The rate of admissions at the Edmonton hospital, which serves both Enfield and Haringey boroughs, was 40% higher than the next highest, recorded at Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, and 220% higher than the average for London.

Jemima Hartshorn, founder and director of Mums for Lungs, has attributed these breathing problems to “avoidable pollution” in the city.

“Too many polluting diesel cars and unnecessary domestic wood burning are making our children sick, choke, cough and struggle for their breath, putting them in hospital,” she said.

Poor air quality in Edmonton thanks to traffic on the A406 North Circular, often cited as London’s most polluted road, has been offered as one explanation for why North Mid has seen such a high level of admissions compared to other London hospitals. Other causes of breathing problems in children can include poor housing conditions and viral infections.

In total, nearly 114,000 children were hospitalised across the capital last year with serious breathing problems.

Dr Katie Knight, a paediatric emergency medicine consultant, said: “Every year we see thousands of children in London coming to A&E with severe breathing difficulties, many of whom will have had their symptoms exacerbated by toxic air pollution.

“With the NHS ’10 Year Plan’ having just been published, the time to act is now to avoid a crisis in our health system that is entirely preventable.”

Mums for Lungs is calling for urgent action to tackle air pollution from the government and local authorities.

Dhruv Rastogi, clinical lead for paediatric asthma at North Mid, said: “We work closely with local schools, primary care teams, and national bodies to help children with breathing issues avoid needing to come to hospital.

“Part of this work includes providing personalised care plans for children with asthma or wheeze, encouraging vaccinations, offering parents stop-smoking support and working with paediatric community asthma nurses to support children with the condition.

“We are also working to reduce pollutants in the area by ensuring our hospital is a smoke-free site and supporting sustainable transport options like electric vehicles, cycling and public transport.”

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