Cycle to Work Scheme & NHS

doyler78
doyler78 Posts: 1,951
edited December 2007 in Commuting chat
Anybody on here been involved in setting one of these schemes up in the NHS.

Did you use a facilitator such as cyclescheme, halfords or evans or did you put your own scheme in place (betting no one has set their own up but waiting to be suprised)?

As the scheme doesn't involve the Trust in having to make any financial commitments to any other organisation I presume even if using such a facilitator you did not have to get involved in any sort of tendering process inviting formal bids it would merely have been a case of finding out which companies are out there and contacting each of them and asking them to discuss with you what they offer the Trust and the employee.

Can you advise which scheme you have used and if you are happy with them?

Did they help market the scheme and what impact, if any, did it have on encouraging new cycle commuters?

How long did the whole process from initial investigation through to implementation did it take and was there any pilot run prior to full implementation?

Do you think, with hindsight, this scheme could really have been setup fairly easily without the involvement of any facilitator?

I ask all this as I have been trying for 3 1/2 years now to get my Trust to introduce this scheme. At last I have got them to at least consider it. I am meeting with the Director who has been tasked with investigating this on the 3 Jan and would like to be as prepared as possible to try and answer any areas which may concern them and thus slow the process.

Currently we have a childcare voucher scheme running which took over a year to get introduced as they had to tender it however I don't know how the facilitators in these schemes make their money therefore not sure if any paralells can be drawn between the two. Gvien that this is in place it at least means that the systems are in place to make the deductions from pay and the NI, Income Tax & Superannuation calculations easy to implement (not they would be difficult in any case) therefore at least this bit should be easy.

Any advice greatly received.

Comments

  • you can visit our website for more info on cycle to work scheme
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/index.php
  • Last message was cut short,

    There is lots of info on NHS bike to work on the NHS Spokes Network
    http://www.networks.nhs.uk/networks/page/368

    One of the schemes they link to is NHS Bikes
    http://www.nhsbikes.co.uk/

    As I said before our website has some info, I would tend to avoid the big multiple stores as they are pushing their own products and have been criticised for 'bending' the rules on what is to be included in the purchase price.

    For a do it yourself approach which avoids paying commission to shops or 'facilitators' see the Velorution 'Velocommute' package:
    http://www.velorution.biz/?page_id=1306


    -Charlie London Cycling Campaign
  • doyler78
    doyler78 Posts: 1,951
    Last message was cut short,

    There is lots of info on NHS bike to work on the NHS Spokes Network
    http://www.networks.nhs.uk/networks/page/368

    One of the schemes they link to is NHS Bikes
    http://www.nhsbikes.co.uk/

    As I said before our website has some info, I would tend to avoid the big multiple stores as they are pushing their own products and have been criticised for 'bending' the rules on what is to be included in the purchase price.

    For a do it yourself approach which avoids paying commission to shops or 'facilitators' see the Velorution 'Velocommute' package:
    http://www.velorution.biz/?page_id=1306


    -Charlie London Cycling Campaign

    Great stuff - had a quick look a there does indeed seem to be a good lot of info it. Will take a more detailed look at it over the weekend. Thanks again.
  • milese
    milese Posts: 1,233
    Great stuff, in this day and age its a disgrace that any Trust doesn't offer the scheme.

    Good luck, let us know how you get on.