Staff in the Podiatry department are the first to be part of a new trial in NHS Lothian designed to reduce carbon emissions, save money and support staff wellbeing. The department are the first in Lothian to introduce e-bikes as a way of travelling to see patients.
The concept was first suggested by a member of the podiatry team to Gillian Hawthorne, Team Lead Podiatrist, who then worked with Amanda Jones, Head of Occupational Health Physiotherapy, to help make this idea a reality.
Gillian said: “Although this pilot has both financial and environmental benefits, it also has the bonus of supporting our staff health and wellbeing by giving them more access to fresh air and exercise while working. We hope this project will help to reduce the use of cars for undertaking domiciliary visits, whilst addressing the ever-increasing traffic congestion in the City of Edinburgh.
The project to provide two e-bikes to the team was supported by Iain Sneddon, Head of Transport and Jane Hopton, Sustainability Lead and Programme Director for Facilities.
Jane said: “Although this trial may be small, it is one piece of the overall sustainability work we are doing in Lothian and we hope it will inspire other departments to do the same. The more people that make the decision to cycle or walk rather than drive, the more impact this will have on NHS Lothian’s carbon emissions.”
You can find information at https://org.nhslothian.scot/Sustainability
