Around 3.5% (9.5 billion miles) of all road travel in England is related to patients, visitors, staff and suppliers to the NHS and so it is clear that we must do all we can to reduce unnecessary patient and colleague travel through redesigned care and greater use of ‘virtual’ appointments.
The significant investments in improving road infrastructure across Calderdale and Kirklees will help reduce congestion, make public transport options more attractive, and support alternate methods of travel such as cycle ways and our plans also include enhanced cycle facilities.
As part of our developments, our focus will be on sustainable travel and a reduction of unnecessary care miles by reducing the need for unnecessary travel between our sites. We have developed and adopted an Estate-wide Travel Plan with clear initiatives to encourage sustainable travel by staff and visitors.
Where vehicle use is essential, we will provide safe onsite parking facilities with electric charging points as well as being ready to embrace emerging new technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells.
We have already installed charging points for fleet vehicles and we are improving the provision of electric charging points for colleagues and visitors as part of our development plans.
Our new car park at Calderdale Royal Hospital will be enabled for electric charging. The location of the car park next to the entrance consolidates parking meaning less time looking for an empty space.