London hospital deploys nurses on e-bikes

Nurses from Guy's and St Thomas’ hospital (opens in new tab) in London are using e-bikes to visit their patients as part of an initiative to improve sustainability and improve staff health and wellbeing. 

Members of staff within the Mawbey Brough neighbourhood nursing team usually drive, walk or use public transport to get to their patients in Lambeth, South London. 

Although they can now sign up to a pilot project using an e-bike featuring a cargo hold for any equipment they need. 

As well as reducing emissions and congestion on London’s road, the e-bike also involves fewer parking restrictions meaning the nurses can operate within the capital more quickly and efficiently. 

During the pilot, nurses have already covered approximately  250 miles and saved around 34 kg of CO2 when compared to using public transport. In comparison to a journey by car, the estimated emission savings rocketed up to 59 kg of CO2.  

Cheyenne Morgan, a community nurse at the London hospital, sees up to 10 patients a day in their homes.

She said: “I love riding a bike and prefer it to using the bus or walking. It reduces the time it takes to get to my patients, and I don’t feel the weight of my rucksack because it can go into the cargo hold. It’s a great alternative to driving and reduces our carbon footprint while helping me to keep fit." 

The project was made possible at the hospital by funding from the Guy’s and St Thomas’s charity as well as the group Impact on Urban Health.

The e-bike pilot is part of a wider sustainability strategy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ to move towards more sustainable health care for the next 10 years. 

Kieron Boyle, chief executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, said: "By supporting nurses to switch to cargo bikes instead of driving polluting vehicles, we’ll be protecting the health of patients, hospital staff and people living in our communities.”