London NHS staff stand to save £3,000 per year by ditching the car and walking or cycling to work.
The project will help to cut local air pollution on employees' commutes. Credit: Brian Morrison/Sustrans
We're working with Barts Health NHS Trust to help employees swap driving for more active travel.
Across England, 3.5% of all road traffic relates to NHS patients, visitors, staff and suppliers.
This project will help to reduce the NHS's carbon footprint and cut local air pollution on employees' commutes.
It will be implemented at multiple sites throughout Waltham Forest, Newham, Tower Hamlets and the City of London.
Help with the cost of living crisis
Barts Health staff commuting by car can save £3,000 per year by cycling to work, according to the government’s Cyclescheme.
This is without even factoring in rising fuel costs, making it a worthwhile change at a time when inflation is far outstripping earnings.
The initiative involves many activities, including:
- cycle workshops
- training of active travel champions
- personalised active travel commute options
- local led walks and bike rides
- car sharing opportunities for longer distance commutes
- the creation of a user group to identify barriers and active travel opportunities
- efforts to cut business mileage emissions
- a forum for proposing potential cycle paths.
The following Barts Health hospitals are participating in the scheme:
- Whipps Cross Hospital
- Mile End Hospital
- St Bartholomew's Hospital
- Newham Hospital
- The Royal London Hospital
- Churchill Place, Canary Wharf.
Supporting people to use their cars less
Barts Health staff surveys have shown that between 69% and 84.5% of employees could walk, cycle, or use public transport to get to work.
At Whipps Cross, staff car parking spaces are being reduced in order to make way for a new hospital, community facilities, green space and 1,500 homes, half of which will be for those on Waltham Forest Council waiting lists.
James Cleeton, Sustrans London Director, said:
“Amid inflation and the cost of living crisis, it’s great that we’ll be helping our NHS heroes save money while cutting the trust’s carbon footprint.
“London’s car-congested roads contribute to some of the worst air quality in the country, and we all need to play our part in addressing this.”
Rob Speight, Director of Estates and Facilities for Barts Health NHS Trust, said:
“We are delighted to work with Sustrans to bring their expertise and dynamism to engage with our staff and patients to help transfer to more active and healthy forms of travel.
“There are so many positive benefits of ditching the car and using alternative, more active forms of travel to our hospitals, and Sustrans will help deliver that message to our staff through a series of practical initiatives to help.”
Get in touch to see how we can help your organisation switch to active travel.
Learn more about how Sustrans can support the NHS (PDF).
