The NHS in Scotland is the largest single employer in the country, with approximately 160,000 staff providing healthcare services to over 20 million patients per year across various clinical settings.

Given the significant amount of planned and unplanned travel required for patient care, addressing the environmental impact of this travel is essential. To support NHS Net Zero targets, we are exploring sustainable solutions to reduce the carbon footprint associated with staff travel.

We are focusing on understanding the commuting behaviours of the majority female (70% of workforce) NHS employees and encouraging active travel as a means of meeting net zero objectives.

This theme will also explore design-led infrastructure and material choices to increase the range efficiency of vehicle fleets and promote vehicle recycling as part of NHS Scotland’s sustainability efforts.