Leeds GPs to prescribe walking and cycling as part of £12.7m pilot to 'ease the burden on the NHS'

The local authority is one of 11 in England to be chosen for the £12.7m social prescriptions trial, which aims to improve mental and physical health as well as reducing disparities across the country.

The funding, spread across a number of years, will go towards several pilot projects in each location, including adult cycle training, free bike loans and walking groups.

Leeds City Council will receive £1.4m for schemes including cycle hubs, a walk/cycle buddy scheme and an adapted walking programme, the Department for Transport has announced.

Walking and Cycling Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Walking and cycling has so many benefits – from improving air quality in our communities to reducing congestion on our busiest streets.

“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.”

The other 10 local authority areas that will trial social prescriptions are Bath and North East Somerset, Bradford, Cornwall, Cumbria, Doncaster, Gateshead, Nottingham, Plymouth, Suffolk and Staffordshire.

The pilots, a commitment in the Government’s Gear Change Plan published in 2020, aim to evaluate the impact of cycling and walking on an individual’s health, such as reduced GP appointments and reliance on medication due to more physical activity.

For the first time, transport, active travel and health officials will work together in a whole systems approach to health improvement and tackling health disparities.

Chris Boardman, the former Olympic cyclist who now serves as National Active Travel Commissioner with Active Travel England, said: “As a nation we need healthier, cheaper and more pleasant ways to get around for everyday trips.

"Active Travel England’s mission is to ensure millions of people nationwide can do just that – so it’s easier to leave the car at home and to enjoy the benefits that come with it.

“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.”

He said the trial aims to build on existing evidence to show how bringing transport, active travel and health together can make a positive impact on communities.

The pilots will be delivered between 2022 and 2025, with ongoing monitoring and evaluation to support continued learning.

The project is bringing together a range of government departments and agencies including NHS England, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Sport England, National Academy for Social Prescribing, DEFRA and the Department for Health and Social Care.

Councils receiving funding must deliver the pilots alongside improvements to infrastructure so people feel safe to cycle and walk.

The announcement comes after work began on the latest round of cycle improvements in the city centre, which are part of a £7.2m package being delivered in partnership by Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).

The combined authority also announced a £500,000 pot of funding in May for local organisations who want to set up Active Travel Hubs in their local communities.