Ulez 'could kill off London's private care home services'

The expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) could increase pressure on the NHS as care home staff struggle to get to work, according to the head of a private care charity.

Professor Martin Green from Care England said the decision to expand the Ulez to Greater London was “terribly unfair”.

He suggested that private care homes could “cease to offer services anywhere where there’s the Ulez charge”.

“If people cannot get support in their own homes or in residential homes, the only place they can go to is the NHS and we all know how pressurised the NHS is,” he said.

The most polluting cars will be charged £12.50 to drive in all of London from August 29 next year, after Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the Ulez would be extended.

The expansion of the ULEZ, which affects mostly cars manufactured before 2006, is expected to significantly cut air pollution which prematurely kills around 4,000 Londoners each year.

Transport for London estimates that about 160,000 cars and 42,000 vans will be affected. But officials believe tens of thousands could be switched for lower polluting vehicles or walking, cycling or public transport by the end of next year.

Support for workers

A spokesman for Mr Khan said TfL would explore what support could be given to care workers who may not have compliant vehicles in London and said a £110m scrappage scheme would help drivers trade in their vehicles.

Mr Green said Mr Khan had “no understanding of the impact” the Ulez would have on “the most vulnerable”, including people on low wages.

“There are lots of people in the NHS, who may be in ancillary roles. Or may be starting their careers in nursing, or indeed in medicine, and they’re not going to be able to afford this charge either,” he said. “So what it would mean there’s lots of people would not get services, and that would then make the situation in the NHS even more acute because people would start to go into crisis. And the only way they’ll be able to get support is to dial 999.”

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: “The Mayor has been clear that it was not an easy decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide but a necessary one to reduce the capital’s toxic air pollution, tackle the climate emergency and cut congestion in our city.”