London Loos

Good provision of public toilets is a hallmark of a civilised and welcoming place to be. Unfortunately the long-term decline in the number of public toilets has accelerated in recent years and the situation in London and elsewhere is much more than just an inconvenience.

As part of our Out and About campaign we’ve launched London Loos – a call for better public toilet provision in the capital. London’s lack of toilets is a serious public health concern and it is already disadvantaged groups of Londoners such as those with health conditions requiring more frequent visits to the toilet that are most affected.

Social isolation – the ‘loo leash’

Everyone benefits from good and available public toilets but tackling social isolation is the key reason why we have launched the London Loos campaign. That’s because too many older Londoners currently avoid leaving their home as much as they would like because they are not confident they will be able to access a toilet if they need to.

One in five of us experience ‘the loo leash’ where we don’t leave our homes as much as we might like because we are anxious that we won’t be able to find a toilet when we need to. The same concern can mean we drink less than we should, which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is associated with a higher risk of ill health in older people, from having an infection, a fall or being admitted to hospital. For those that can’t walk or wheel far or fast the lack of toilets can be more acute. Three quarters of the population say that there are not enough toilets in their area.

There are around 1,500 public toilets in London but that’s not enough for a city of more than eight million people. In some parts of London you can walk for 20 minutes or more to reach a toilet and often the provision is poorly maintained or made inaccessible through design or opening times. Increasing public toilet provision would reduce social isolation for thousands of older Londoners and is fundamental to London becoming an age-friendlier and therefore people-friendlier city.

To find out more, visit the AgeUK London website.