Driving Sustainability: Innovations in NHS Transport and Travel - Event Write-up
On 22nd May, we hosted the “Driving Sustainability: Innovations in NHS Transport and Travel” webinar to gain insight on what organisations within and associated with the NHS are currently doing to ensure net-zero emissions in travel and transport operations.
We spoke to three inspirational panellists, one within the NHS and two from innovative companies leading the way towards greener transport. The event targeted NHS employees and other professionals concerned with the current state of sustainable travel.
The session explored:
The roadmap within the NHS to achieve net-zero emissions in staff commuting by 2040
Solutions towards sustainable car park management
Alternative modes of sustainable transport, such as cargo bikes
Andrew Bradley, Senior Delivery Lead for Net Zero Travel and Transport at NHS England, delivered a talk on how the NHS plans to reach zero emissions in staff travel for their carbon footprint target by 2040.
He shared insight on how staff commuting is one of the NHS’s biggest strains on sustainable development, making up 4% of all road traffic in the UK.
He introduced the National Net-Zero Travel and Transport Strategy that went live in October 2023, with its first target being for all NHS organisations to have a sustainable travel strategy by 2026.
The aims also included:
All vehicles offered through the NHS Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Schemes will be electric by 2026
All new vehicles owned or leased by the NHS will be zero emission by 2027, excluding ambulances
The NHS will reduce staff commuting emissions by 50% by 2033
Raj Bucktowar, CTO at Mobile Worker Plus, introduced a cloud-based software named Octopass that aims to offer a sustainable car park management solution.
Octopass has worked with NHS trusts to help manage parking permits while promoting sustainable travel options for staff, by:
Implementing eligibility criteria and scoring that incentivizes sustainable travel choices during the permit application process
Facilitating car sharing arrangements and payments
Integrating with existing systems for permit approval and access control
Mary McAlister, Group Partnerships at Zedify, gave her talk on the efficiency of cargo bikes, which is her company’s expertise. Zedify is the UK’s largest cargo bike courier network, working to deliver the NHS green agenda with their zero tailpipe emissions service. They operate in nine cities with plans for expansion.
Mary endorsed cargo bikes as an alternative to vans for delivery vehicles, and discussed the importance of ‘right sizing’, meaning couriers ensure that the vehicles they use are the most appropriate and most sustainable for their journey. She shared the statistic that 39% of vans driving in cities are less than a quarter full, and that cargo bikes can deliver 60% more efficiently.
Zedify are approved under the NHS framework agreement for low-carbon deliveries, and they work with the NHS to:
Deliver prescriptions for local pharmacies
Transport lab specimens
Deliver medical supplies to patients' homes
Transport documents and files between hospitals
All three speakers presented compelling solutions for sustainable and efficient transport within the NHS, and were all prime examples of how the UK plans to achieve net-zero emissions in the coming years.
To hear from more innovative companies such as these, be sure to get involved with our Sustainability Day of Action on 8th July.