Travel

NHS Staff Cycling Travel choices have a wide range of impacts on the environment and quality of life, including:

frequency of collisions
level of physical activity of the population
community cohesion
air quality
noise levels
climate change

Few factors connect health and sustainability so obviously as travel, with clear health benefits resulting from active, green travel choices.

The NHS is responsible for 5% of all journeys made in this country. Its travel policies can influence the behaviour of millions of people every day – not only the 1.4 million people who work for the NHS, but the vast numbers of patients, visitors and suppliers who flow in and out of the system.

Sustainable transport and travel in the NHS means:

Encouraging people to make active and sustainable travel choices where possible, such as walking and cycling
Ensuring that health services can be accessed by good quality foot and cycle paths, and effective public transport systems, and encouraging their use ahead of private vehicles
Making sure that collisions, noise, pollution, congestion and CO2 emissions are minimised through effective travel planning
Providing facilities and working arrangements that reduce the need for travel and distances travelled
Managing travel in ways that benefit communities, support local economies and help protect the environment

Benefits

Tackling obesity, heart disease and mental health problems – through active travel

Saving money that can be used to protect health – by reducing transport costs

Meeting legally binding UK carbon reduction targets

Reducing health risks and the pressure they put on the health service – by decreasing road collisions, stress, noise and air pollution

Enhancing reputation – with staff, patients, visitors and the wider community

Facts

In 2008, 28,567 people were killed or seriously injured in road collisions in the UK. Road collisions are the most common cause of death amongst young people in the UK
The NHS accounts for 5% of all road traffic in England
Transport and travel accounts for 18% of the NHS carbon footprint
Staff, patients and visitors to the NHS travel over 25 billion km a year and over 80% of these are by car
Each month 23 million people visit their GP or practice nurse
Over half of men and two thirds of women are obese or overweight
Patients fail to keep nearly six million hospital appointments a year, costing the NHS £575 million.