As Cycle September draws to a close, here is a snapshot of how and why Sheffield healthcare professionals are using active travel.
Dr Andy Douglas Dr Jo Maher Dr Jimi Osinaike & Chloe Atkinson start NHS Tour De Sheffield July 2021
Come rain or shine, day and night don’t be surprised if you spot a familiar face from your local GP surgery out and about on a bike or on foot.
There must be a meeting! Bikes parked up at Burngreave surgery
N2 Primary Care Network Social = staff from Page Hall, Pitsmoor, Wincobank & Burngreave surgeries at Steel Yard Kelham September 2021
But why are they so keen? Sheffield is so hilly, surely it’s really hard to get around by bike?
Dr Rachel Savage of Sloan Medical Centre improvises wet weather gear out on home visits!
Top of Jenkin Rd on home visits on the e-bike, a bit of welcome fresh air in the middle of the day. I didn’t ride up the Cote de Wincobank, I went around and down!
It’s not just in Sheffield either. Across the country healthcare workers want to do what they can in the climate emergency.
https://edinburghactivetravelforhealth.wordpress.com/
National data indicates fewer than 50% of journeys of 2 miles or less are done on foot. Walking or cycling on shorter journeys is one way to reduce our carbon footprint
Dr Helen Twowig & Dr Liz Callingham of Dykes Hall Surgery in Hillsborough with the practice e-cargo bike they use for home visiting.
E-cargo bikes can be rented from Different Gear social enterprise if your organisation wants to try it out
If you work in health and social care and are finding it hard to keep active, maybe instead of going to the gym swapping a car ride for walking or cycling on the commute would be more time efficient?
Advanced Nurse Practitioner Ann Gregory of Page Hall Medical Centre completed the Sheffield 10k race ‘with no training’ but commutes to work on her push bike everyday!
Sheffield is The Outdoor City and we have amazing city parks and green spaces open to us all where we live and work.
Did you know 61% of Sheffield is greenspace?
You can find out more here-
Woolley Woods April 2021 Despite having worked in Wincobank for 20 years I only discovered this amazing ancient woodland less than 1/2 a mile away from work in lockdown 2020 by going out for walks after work.
Dr Jimi Osainake & Cllr Safiya Saeed at Ellesmere Green July 2021 NHS Tour De Sheffield
I bumped into Alasdair & Dan from Beat the Street down in Upperthorpe September 2021 happy encounters naturally happen when you walk and cycle!
What do you do that might inspire other HCPs and their teams? We would love to know so we can all support each other. This is the ethos behind Move More Active Practice.
You can get the recognition you and your organisation deserve for your efforts by signing up here https://www.movemoresheffield.com/move-more-active-practice
Teams signing up to the scheme report improved staff morale, a sense of common purpose & improved wellbeing. Something we could all do with right now!
Dr Jo Maher Wincobank Medical Centre/ Move More GP