The NHS and Active Travel
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking: NHS and Active Travel
The APPG for Cycling and Walking held a meeting focused on the relationship between the NHS and active travel. The session explored how the NHS can support and benefit from active travel initiatives, including improving public health, supporting staff well-being, reducing long-term healthcare costs, and creating healthier communities.
Speakers:
- Andrew Bradley, Sustainable Travel Lead at NHS England
- Karen Jenny, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Julian Sanchez, National Cycle Lead at The Active Wellbeing Society
NHS England approach and priorities
Andrew Bradley set out the scale of the NHS as a national employer, and the challenges of delivering consistent change across a complex system comprising many organisations. He described the Step Up Gear sustainable travel network, which brings together representatives from trusts and integrated care boards to share learning and practical interventions. He highlighted recurring themes raised by NHS organisations, including the importance of well-located cycle parking, the need for clearer, more consistent approaches to e-bike charging and safety, and simple site accessibility measures such as benches and safer routes to entrances.
Oxleas e-bike pilot
Karen Jenny presented a small-scale e-bike pilot in Greenwich designed to support community staff travelling between appointments, including home visits. The pilot included a booking system, staff training and charging and parking arrangements located close to the hospital entrance. Early findings suggest e-bikes can reduce car mileage for short journeys and support productivity by enabling staff to reach more appointments while lowering travel costs. Karen also noted potential recruitment and retention benefits where active travel offers are viewed positively by staff.
Free bike schemes and behaviour change
Julian Sanchez outlined free bike schemes delivered by The Active Wellbeing Society in areas including Birmingham and Essex. He emphasised that providing bikes alongside training and wraparound support can help people who otherwise cannot afford a bike take up cycling and build a lasting habit. Julian also described hospital-focused pilots for lower-paid NHS staff who are not eligible for Cycle to Work schemes, and the value of collecting data to support evaluation and identify local infrastructure improvements.
Key issues raised in the discussion
- The need to include NHS sites more consistently within local cycling and walking infrastructure planning and delivery
- Managing theft risk and ensuring safe, practical storage and charging for e-bikes
- The importance of monitoring and evaluation so that schemes can be improved and scaled
- Ensuring active travel is accessible, including for disabled people, and adapted cycles
- The potential for active travel to support prevention and reduce the burden of disease, alongside benefits for staff travel