GPs will prescribe walking and cycling to patients in Gateshead to help their physical and mental health under a new trial.
The Department for Transport has awared £12.7m funding to 11 councils in England for the pilot scheme, which includes money for adult cycle training, cycling taster days, walking groups and free bike loans. The scheme will launch this year in the areas, which include Gateshead, and runs until 2025.
Walking and Cycling minister Trudy Harrison said the activities have “so many benefits – from improving air quality in our communities to reducing congestion on our busiest streets”.
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“It also has an enormous positive impact on physical and mental health, which is why we have funded these projects which will get people across the country moving and ease the burden on our NHS,” she said.
It comes as part of the Government’s Gear Change Plan published in 2020 and aims to evaluate the impact of these activities on individuals’ health, such as reduced GP appointments and reliance on medication.
If successful, the idea could be rolled out to other parts of the country. The Department for Transport aims to "make cycling and walking the natural choices for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey by 2040".
The Department for Transport said several government departments and agencies, including NHS England, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Sport England, National Academy for Social Prescribing, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Health & Social Care, are working together on the project.
Chris Boardman, commissioner of National Active Travel, an executive agency being set up by the Government to improve the standards of the UK’s cycling and walking infrastructure, said: “As a nation we need healthier, cheaper and more pleasant ways to get around for everyday trips.
He added: “Moving more will lead to a healthier nation, a reduced burden on the NHS, less cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as huge cost savings.
“This trial aims to build on existing evidence to show how bringing transport, active travel and health together can make a positive impact on communities across England.”
Bath and North East Somerset, Bradford, Cornwall, Cumbria, Doncaster, Gateshead, Leeds, Nottingham, Plymouth, Suffolk and Staffordshire are taking part in the trial.
Minister for Health, Maria Caulfield, said: “Getting active is hugely beneficial for both our mental and physical health, helping reduce stress and ward off other illness such as heart disease and obesity.
“The UK is leading the way in embedding social prescribing in our NHS and communities across the country.”
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