Healthcare workers use pedal power to beat Olympic traffic

2012-07-30 12:28:00

Healthcare workers from North East London NHS Foundation Trust will be using bicycles to ensure the Olympic traffic congestion does not hamper healthcare services.

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has bought a fleet of bikes as part of a raft of initiatives to ensure home visits for its mental health service users and community health services patients take place as arranged throughout the Games period.

The Trust has secured funding from the Olympic Legacy Health Fund to purchase the fleet of bikes and equipment such as cycle helmets, high visibility safety vests and back packs.

With the predicted disruption to travel during the London 2012 Olympic Games, cycling will be a key way of getting around the host borough of Waltham Forest, and nearby borough of Redbridge, ensuring that the home visits take place.

The Trust has been working with staff to ensure that they have considered any changes they need to make to their journey to work during the Olympics are underway and have tested an alternative route.

Other initiatives introduced in the Trust to ensure continuity of services during the Games have been a lift sharing scheme, the NHS bicycle scheme, remote access technology for staff to work from home and a teleconference system.

Information has been issued to service users and patients to advise them to make sure that they have enough medication and medical supplies to avoid running out.

Graham Blowes, director of specialist services and emergency planning lead at NELFT said:

“We have been planning for the London 2012 Olympics for some considerable time to ensure that we can continue to deliver our mental health and community services. We have worked closely with our NHS colleagues, our local authorities, the police, Transport for London and our suppliers.”

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