Free Bikes initiative makes active travel more accessible for Dudley hospital staff

A Free Bikes programme for staff across the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust is proving successful in efforts to make active travel more accessible while supporting healthier lifestyles.

The initiative, providing 30 bikes for eligible staff, is funded by Active Black Country and Dudley Council Commonwealth Games legacy funding. It follows the success of pilot schemes facilitated by The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham and Basildon Hospital in Essex. The Free Bikes programme was introduced to encourage more people to cycle, with a focus on supporting staff on lower pay bands who may face barriers to accessing a bike.

Balraj Johal, Public Health Manager at Dudley Council, said the strong uptake and recruitment of participants was hugely encouraging.

“Feedback from NHS staff has been very positive, with many welcoming the opportunity to access a free bike and expressing an interest in using cycling as a way to become more active,” he said.

“We know that parking is an issue at Russells Hall Hospital with staff reporting that it can take over 30 minutes to find a parking space before work, so it is hoped that this scheme will help reduce parking and time pressures, in addition to helping staff get more active.”

Rachel Barlow, Group Chief Development Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, was quoted on the Active Wellbeing Society website: “I’m really excited to see more staff have access to bikes and training, not only from a sustainable travel perspective but also the long-term impacts on their health and lives. Whether they’re cycling to work, just popping to the shops, or cycling with the family, it’s another car off the road, movement embedded in their routine, and it helps save them time and money.”

Megan Smith, Head of Development and Delivery (Central) at The Active Wellbeing Society, said: “Providing free bikes to NHS staff helps make active travel a realistic option for their journey to work. Not only will it benefit staff health and wellbeing, but it benefits the wider system by reducing car dependency and easing pressure on staff parking.”

Dudley Council is undertaking an assessment of how the bikes are being used to understand the longer-term impact of the scheme.

Balraj said: “This evaluation will help inform any future decisions about expanding the programme, including increasing the number of bikes available or extending the offer to other NHS staff groups. We are also planning bike training to support staff to feel more confident in their cycling ability."

Pictured from left: Shaun Jones from The Active Wellbeing Society; Aidan Wheeler and Balraj Johal from Dudley Council; Stuart Hill, a bike recipient at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; and Ninette Harris from the Trust.