NHS ‘active travel by cycling’ opportunities

-the potential in the south west

Peter Ashcroft DH-SWBruce Bolam DH-SW

Nick Cavill28 May 2009

Aim

• To implement a major programme to promote ‘active travel by cycling’ at a major NHS hospital trust(s) in the south west

Short term constraints

• less than 2 years to complete

• start on the ground by this September

• practical, achievable, successful results – not a risky experiment

• £0.5m contribution from Cycling England plus local match funding

Longer term opportunity

• Maximise the commitment to active travel amongst all hospital trusts in the south west

• attract more core NHS funding for active travel in all hospital trusts– so, our actions need to resonate with all trusts ie they

could envisage doing these kinds of things themselves later on

– get buy-in now from strategic leaders in the region, SHA, DH-SW, health professional groups, unions

Search for partners

• Approached 17 hospital trusts that are part of a sustainable development network. Agreed criteria:– have a travel plan– data on travel patterns– Someone there with responsibility for active

travel and enthusiasm to get involved, – but most importantly, there is potential to do

more

Potential partner hospital sites

• Bristol

• Bournemouth

• Truro

• Torbay

• Yeovil

• Plymouth

Common drivers

• Parking pressures– demand often 3 times supply: staff & visitors

• Carbon reduction– “every person in the NHS has an obligation to mitigate

the effects of climate change, arguably the largest health threat we face” NHS Sustainability Unit

• Health of Staff– Boorman report into NHS workplace health due Dec

09 will stimulate greater interest (CE has responded)

Each faces a different mix of circumstances

• Scale (Yeovil 1300 employees to Bristol 9500)• Location (city centre to edge of town)• Road network (critically congested Bournemouth

to just busy)• Development pressures (established

neighbourhoods to major growth points Truro) • Active travel track record (Bournemouth

beginners to Bristol tried everything)

Bristol

• Staff to parking 20:1• Transport is ‘manic’• City centre, multiple sites (9500 staff)• Already very active on green travel• Just introduced purpose built facility for 35 bikes

–willing to share info on use• needs limited to cycle cage for IT team and

showers retrofitted in eye hospital• Ability to deliver significant new programme

limited by what already achieved and location

Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Bournemouth

• Staff to parking 4.5:1• Located at dead end of dual carriageway next to

other major employers (4500 staff)• Site already served with some cycle routes• Done very little but all about to change due to

2010 campaign linked to new car park charges• New post coming for the campaign• Need is for new bike storage and showers, but

could do more• Considerable potential and enthusiasm, open to

new ideas, timing good

Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro

Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro

Truro

• Staff to parking 3:1• Edge of city, poor network for cycling, major

growth point in next 5 years so transport infrastructure will improve (4750 staff)

• Operate a bike purchase scheme• New travel plan manager post –advert written,• Want evolution not revolution, exact needs not

identified yet• Long term potential good, but short term limited,

some workforce lives in dispersed rural hinterland

Torbay District General Hospital

Torbay District General Hospital

Torbay

• Staff to parking 2.5:1• Edge of town, near ring road, new cycle route

just completed (2500), stable local environment• Bike user group run by consultant• Keen on promoting alternatives to the car –won

£1000 award, recent travel survey with high response

• Need is for stands, showers and changing• Keen to build on track record and willing, but

potential probably not major because no other triggers,

Yeovil District

Hospital

Yeovil District Hospital

Yeovil

• Staff to parking 3:1• Small city centre site (1300 staff), transport a

‘nightmare’• Facility manager over-run by day to day issues of

catering, security, so no time to be pro-active, eg recent staff survey not analysed “anything would help!”

• Need is for cycle club, replace grim store, reduce traffic speed on site

• Good potential in typical small site where not large enough to justify dedicated active travel post,

Plymouth Derriford Hospital

Plymouth Derriford Hospital

Plymouth

• Staff to parking 4.5:1• Large site on the outskirts of the city, slight hill (6000

staff)• First hospital to produce a green travel plan in 1997,

recent provision of 2 cycle shed have increased cycling from 1.6 to 3.3% of journeys.

• Need identified in staff consultations is new modular changing and drying facilities, journey planner, pool of 15 site bikes for local journeys.

• Still further potential despite recent improvements, ideas carefully designed to be deliverable in time

How much influence could we have?

Bristol low

Bournemouth high

Truro medium

Torbay medium

Yeovil high

Plymouth high

Analysis

• Bournemouth stands out as having major potential from a low base and the timing is perfect because of their parking campaign. Does not need the entire budget.

• Yeovil and Torbay are similar small scale sites. Torbay have staff commitment and a track record. Yeovil suffers from lack of staff capacity to drive forward change on its own. Which is more typical?

• Truro and Plymouth are similar scale large sites. Despite the new post coming in Truro, Plymouth have a more specific and time feasible set of needs.

• The budget, plus local match funding, and the time constraints mean we can afford a selected range.

Options

1. focus all investment at one hospital

2. Spread investment across all with potential

3. Select a range of sites that are typical of various NHS situations

Options Advantages Disadvantages

One site ‘Rolls Royce’ project

Easy to manage

Disengages the other trusts

Not a typical site

May not spend/need the budget

All eggs in one basket

Spread across all 5

Widest range of experiences generated

Strongest roll out potential

Useful discipline of working with modest budget

May spread resources too thinly

Most complex to manage

Selectedrange - say 3

Wider range of experiences generated

Good roll out potential

Management not complex

The best selection?

Safest• Bournemouth plus• Torbay and Plymouth.

Most typical• Torbay, Yeovil and

Truro and Plymouth

Most potential:•Bournemouth plus•Yeovil and Plymouth

Staffing needs

Existing or planned Observed needs

Bournemouth New part time post coming with campaign

Truro Green Travel Co-ordinator about to be appointed

Torbay None, but maybe some temp input

Yeovil Need dedicated post

Plymouth None, but maybe some temp input

Monitoring and evaluation

• Change in travel patterns– % and number of people travelling by cycle– patterns of bike use: days per week, seasons

• Change in attitudes to travel– % and number of people prepared to change in future

• Wider impacts on neighbouring workplaces– Qualitative feedback

• Data collection– travel to work surveys before & after at each site– qualitative interviews and discussions– wider comparisons between sites in the programme and those

not in the programme

Next stepsPhase DH-SW date Cycling

England1 identify interest and

potential28 May confirm scope for

phase 2

2 prepare detailed and costed proposal with strategic buy-in

30 June sign off proposal

3 support trusts with refining their individual plans

30 July issue contracts to selected trusts

4 prepare management, evaluation and governance arrangements

1 Aug confirm governance of programme

5 Work begins 1 Sept