Working in partnership

There are a number of core partners who play a part in ensuring access to healthcare services, including Health Boards, Local Authorities, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) and Community Health (and Care) Partnerships (CHPs/CHCPs). Other significant players include public and private transport service providers, those operating community and/or voluntary transport and Demand Responsive Transport (DRT ).

The centrality of joint working in planning future transport and healthcare services was made clear in the Transport (Scotland) Act (2005) with new legal requirements being placed upon Health Boards and others to work with the newly established Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) in planning access to health. Section 5 of the Transport (Scotland) Act (2005) sets out the need for RTPs to explain how transport in the region will be provided, developed, improved and operated to facilitate access to hospitals, clinics, surgeries and other places where a health service is provided.

In addition to those seeking medical care, hospitals and other healthcare services attract trips from a number of other groups including families, staff, friends and other visitors, who make up a significant proportion of those for whom transport provision must be considered. The transport/travel needs of each of these groups must be taken into account.

Travel Plan Officers

SPT's Travel Plan Officers are working with the Health Boards to help them to develop Travel Plans aimed at encouraging staff to use sustainable methods of transport for their journey to work.

Travel Planning can help make healthcare facilities more accessible, reduce congestion at hospital sites and tackle areas where transport impacts on health, for example obesity and physical activity.

Travel Plans have been produced for NHS Lanarkshire, 10 hospitals in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, four hospitals in NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Clydebank. These Travel Plans cover about 40,000 employees.

Measures such as tax-free bus travel and cycle to work schemes, car sharing schemes, secure cycle parking and provision of better travel information have been implemented.

SPT's Travel Plan Officers and the Health Boards continue to work closely to develop and implement Travel Plans and to promote sustainable and active travel.

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