NHS Doctors get on their bikes for home visits thanks to Co Bikes

During June, NHS doctors from Pinhoe and Broadclyst Medical Practice have opted to leave their cars at home in favour of using Co Bike e-bikes for home visits and travel between practices.

Dr Emily Hay, GP registrar and Dr Harry Edwards, GP, together with eight other doctors from the surgery, are keen to look at alternative, carbon neutral ways to travel. With home visits on the rise and journeys often short, the practical and sustainable solution is to travel by bike.

The GPs therefore approached Co Bikes about conducting a trial with surgery staff. Because the bikes are electrically assisted and make cycling a breeze, even uphill, GPs can arrive fresh and full of energy when traveling to home appointments.

Dr Emily Hay comments on the trial; “This is a fantastic opportunity for our practices and personally one that I’ve been looking forward to. I’ve been researching a number of low and zero carbon alternatives to the way we are doing things, and this is a huge step forward in achieving that. It’s also a great conversation point with patients, where we can encourage this type of activity for good mental and physical health”.

Co Bikes continue to offer a 50% discount to all NHS staff on their BikeRider 600 minutes bundle, which means staff will be able to continue using the bikes for less after the trial is completed.

Mark Hodgson, managing director of Co Bikes said; “We’re keen to support this trial at Pinhoe and Broadclyst Medical Practice and we’re confident it’ll be a huge success. Our e-bikes are the ideal zero carbon alternative to the car for short city trips, and it’ll be great to see doctors on their bikes and championing the NetZero movement”.

This unique e-bike trial has been made possible through funding provided from a Devon County Council and Department for Transport grant. This trial is part of a wider package of Active Travel measures that are being delivered across the County this summer.

The Co Bikes network is powered by nextbike, who operate shared bike schemes in 200 cities around the world. Co Bikes is also part of Co Cars, the car club for people, communities and businesses across Exeter and the South West. Together, the cars and bikes form an economical, equitable and sustainable network of shared transport options to help reduce our dependence on private car ownership.