Please click here for the transcript.

Please click here for the transcript.

Please click here for the transcript.

Nitrous oxide - 'laughing gas'

Dr Crockett discusses nitrous oxide with Matt on BBC Suffolk. From a medical perspective, Dr Crockett shares the need for more social support and the dangers to health.

Please click here for the transcript.

Please click here for the transcript.

Please click here for the transcript.

Transcript - 

Hello, my name is Louise and I am a Lead Nurse at a GP surgery caring for patients with numerous conditions.

We know through many studies that air pollution does have an impact on people’s health. In the short term, exposure to high levels of pollution can exacerbate symptoms of people suffering from lung or heart conditions. Whilst longer term impacts can be associated with lung, heart and circulation disorders, it's important to understand that long term exposure to air pollution is not thought to be the sole cause of deaths, rather it is considered to be a contributory factor.

Air pollution is a local, national and international issue: we can all do our bit to tackle it. And there are simple things that we can do now to improve air quality. Things such as using the car less, walking short journeys, walking to the school and back on the school run, how about working from home one or two days a week if possible, or think about cycling to work if it's safe to do so.

We realise that many of us live in rural areas and need our cars for that very reason. But you can improve the effectiveness of your car by trying to stop it idling when it's stationary: just turn off the ignition. If you're burning wood in an open fire use a smokeless, well seasoned, quality fuel, as this will reduce the particulate emissions.

As a nurse, I was really interested to learn about the impact of Covid lockdowns on air quality: a survey by the British Lung Foundation showed that 1/4 of people with asthma noted an improvement in their symptoms.

Any improvement in air quality will have positive health consequences for everybody and there are simple steps to take that we can all do together now to make a real difference.

Thank you.