Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has been recognised as a shortlisted finalist in the Travel category of the 2020 NHS Sustainability Day Awards, sponsored by HEFMA.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust is very proactive in engaging with staff and encouraging more sustainable (and active) modes of travel to and from work, as well as between sites.
This latest recognition adds to a growing list awarded to the Trust for its work on sustainable travel, which includes a ‘Top Cycle Location Gold Standard’, ‘Top Walking Location Gold Standard’ and ‘Platinum Top Active Travel Location’ by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Annual travel survey
To help understand the travel habits of staff, track progress on initiatives, and monitor behaviour change the Trust carries out an annual travel survey. The latest survey results show that the Trust is making progress towards reducing single occupancy driving to sites.
Walking and cycling
To incentivise walking, the Trust has established guided lunchtime walks from its sites. These are widely promoted and growing in popularity, with many staff joining and more opting to walk independently.
A ‘Get Active, Eat Free’ scheme, launched in collaboration with the Health and Wellbeing department, aims to get staff cycling and/or walking by offering them a free healthy lunch if they participate in at least five lunchtime walks or cycle five return trips to work.
The Trust actively promotes and encourages cycling throughout the year and the results show this is clearly working. The Trust offers a Cycle to Work scheme which provides regular purchasing ‘windows’ during which staff have access to lower priced bikes.
For even wider inclusivity, three pool bikes are available for staff to hire out free of charge to allow them to cycle to and from work as well as between sites. These have been fully booked, with a waiting list, which demonstrates that staff are keen to cycle, particularly if given the facilities and support to do so.
The Trust has improved the infrastructure on its sites to support cyclists. It has installed a number of cycle lockers/pods so that cyclists can store their bikes and equipment securely. These lockers are in full use and the Trust has requests for more. It has built a new bike shed at Sandwell Hospital, repaired the existing cycle shed at
City Hospital, installed equipment lockers, added lane markings for cyclists to safely access sites and signage for cycle parking.
Additional services and schemes have also been made available. The Trust works with local bike shops, one of which runs a regular, free bike health check service. Staff can bring their bike to work and a technical representative will inspect it and offer advice and support.
Other additional services/schemes to help cyclists include bike maintenance/safety courses, cycle proficiency training and bike leader courses. Cycling and walking intranet pages provide more information and the Trust offers personal route plans.
At its annual Sustainability Garden Party, the Trust runs cycling competitions with prizes. It also aligns engagement activities around national events, such as Cycle to Work Week, Walk to Work Week and Bike Week and holds an annual charity bike ride.
Other transport
For those who are unable to cycle or simply prefer not to, the Trust encourages other sustainable travel alternatives. For instance, it offers discounts for staff choosing to travel by bus, and, to enable staff, patients and visitors to use low emission vehicles, it has installed six 7KW electric vehicle charge points across three sites. This is helping to reduce carbon footprint and air pollution levels. The launch of a car sharing app helps staff to connect and share journeys.
NHS Sustainable Travel Forum
The Trust works closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority, keeping abreast of local and regional travel updates and sustainable travel initiatives to ensure it is aligned with and supporting local plans. Recently, the Trust has been working with officers, councillors and the local authorities from Birmingham and Sandwell to help address and mitigate air pollution in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. During 2020, Birmingham is set to implement a Clean Air Zone and the Trust is keen to be part of the process to help improve air quality on a local and national level.
