Real-Time Air Pollution Alerts Personalized to Your Health Conditions

The Air Quality Monitor is a free tool that tracks real-time air quality in your area and sends you personalised clinical warnings based on the air quality in your location and your pre-existing health conditions.

Using data from on-ground sensors, remote satellite imagery, and a global proprietary sensor network, it provides live Air Quality Index (AQI) readings and targeted health alerts calibrated to your specific conditions.

Yes. The Air Quality Monitor is a free service available to all registered NowPatient users.

Yes. The Air Quality Monitor is classified as a Class I medical device under UK MDR 2002 regulations for its intended use.

Exposure to air pollution — which contains harmful particles and gases — can trigger a range of immediate health effects including eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, fatigue, and dizziness.

It can also worsen existing conditions such as asthma and allergies, causing coughing and wheezing. Long-term exposure is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

The Air Quality Monitor Service Card is located in the ‘Personalised Insights’ section of your account homepage. If you have not used it before, the card will be locked — tap the ‘Unlock’ icon to set it up.

To activate the Air Quality Monitor:

• Open the Air Quality Monitor Service Card in the ‘Personalised Insights’ section and tap the ‘Unlock’ icon

• You will be taken to your health profile page — update it with your health conditions and tap Save

• Enable location services on your device when prompted

• The Service Card will now activate and begin sending personalised air quality warnings based on your location and health conditions

Your health profile is how the Air Quality Monitor knows which conditions to monitor for. Without a completed health profile, the tool cannot send you personalised clinical warnings — only generic readings. To receive targeted alerts relevant to your specific conditions, you must update your profile with your health conditions and save.

Location access is required so the monitor can retrieve accurate, real-time air quality data for your specific area. When you activate the Service Card for the first time, you will be prompted to allow the service to access your current location. Please ensure you enable this.

Air quality readings are refreshed each day, giving you up-to-date information about the air quality in your area.

At-risk groups are defined as adults and children with heart or lung problems, who are at greater risk of experiencing symptoms. Follow your doctor’s usual advice about exercising and managing your condition. It is also possible that very sensitive individuals may experience health effects even on good Air Quality days — anyone experiencing severe symptoms should seek medical advice.

The following conditions are classified as at-risk for sensitivity to air quality:

• Allergies

• Asthma

• Atrial Fibrillation

• Chronic Bronchitis

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Coronary Heart Disease

• Heart Attack

• Heart Failure

• Unstable Angina

If the AI algorithm identifies a risk based on local air quality and your health conditions, you will receive:

• A push notification with clinical advice sent directly to your device

• An In-App notification viewable in the ‘Notifications’ section of your account homepage

You can also view any warning advisory at any time by selecting the ‘View Warning’ button on the Air Quality Monitor Service Card.

The advice in each warning is tailored to your health conditions and the current AQI level in your area. For example, at moderate AQI levels, at-risk individuals with lung or heart problems who experience symptoms may be advised to reduce strenuous physical activity outdoors. At hazardous levels, at-risk individuals may be advised to avoid strenuous physical activity altogether. See the AQI table below for the full guidance at each level.

[REVIEW: Original text referenced ‘pollen count’ here — this appears to be a copy error. The symptom triggers below relate to air quality.] If you have asthma, allergies, COPD, or bronchitis and the air quality is at a concerning level, make an appointment with your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Feeling wheezy

• Feeling breathless

• A tight feeling in your chest

• Coughing more than usual

• Needing to use your reliever inhaler (usually blue) three times a week or more (if you have asthma)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardised scale used to communicate how clean or polluted the air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern. The AQI runs from 0 to 301 and above, and is divided into six categories — each with a colour code, a health concern level, and recommended actions for both at-risk individuals and the general population.

The table below sets out the six AQI categories, their index ranges, and the corresponding health guidance:

NowPatient harnesses the power of on-ground sensors, remote satellite imagery, and a global proprietary sensor network to gather credible air quality data from multiple sources. This multi-source approach ensures the readings you receive are accurate and reliable.