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3 Nov 2022

The ACT is delighted to announce a new partnership with Tyl by NatWest - receive a £120 bonus* when you sign up.

3 Nov 2022

New research has suggested as many as one in three drivers believe cyclists shouldn’t be allowed on public highways and should be confined to cycle paths.

1 Nov 2022

AA President Edmund King has told the Daily Telegraph that more cycle routes would be good for drivers, as encouraging motorists to take fewer journeys by car could cut household fuel...

31 Oct 2022

Sustrans has announced that it has joined together with other organisations representing active travel, motoring, road safety, the environment and business leaders to urge the UK government to...

26 Oct 2022

As the economic clouds darken, business leaders have tentatively welcomed the arrival of Rishi Sunak as the country’s new prime minister.

25 Oct 2022

Glasgow, Scotland - Bike for Good is proud to bring the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for bicycle technicians to Scotland for the first time. The first Cytech...

25 Oct 2022

Together with our partners at V12 Retail Finance, we are highlighting the FCA Consumer Duty and the four key outcomes that the FCA will be looking for authorised businesses to adhere to.

24 Oct 2022

New research has indicated that UK shoppers could spend £4.4bn less on essentials ahead of Christmas – a 22% drop as the rising cost of living impacts on disposable income.

20 Oct 2022

VOLT today announces the launch of a collaboration with Deliveroo, the food delivery company, to trial subsidised e-bikes for a group of riders across the UK.

20 Oct 2022

Cycling charity Cycling UK has renewed its call on the Government to close the loophole in the law which allows people to escape driving bans.

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GPs to prescribe cycling to help improve mental & physical health

Posted on in Cycles News , Outdoor News

The Department for Transport has announced a £12.7m trial to begin later this year, in which GPs in England will be able to prescribe walking or cycling as a way of improving mental and physical health and easing the burden on the NHS.

Initially 11 places will receive funding for doctors are to start "social prescription" pilots. The plan aims to reduce GP appointments and people's reliance on medication. The pilots run until 2025 in Bradford, Leeds, Doncaster, Cumbria, Gateshead, Nottingham, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Plymouth, Cornwall, Bath and NE Somerset.

The new Gear Change Plan pilots would be "hugely beneficial" to overall mental and physical health, said the DfT. The pilots will include adult cycle training for all abilities, plus more walking groups for exercise and mental health. Free bike loans will be offered.

Walking and cycling minister Trudy Harrison said more cycling and walking would "ease the burden on our NHS" as well as "improving air quality and reducing congestion".

The government said the authorities must also improve infrastructure, so people felt safe walking and cycling.

"We need healthier, cheaper and more pleasant ways to get around for everyday trips," he said cyclist Chris Boardman, commissioner of National Active Travel, a government agency set up to improve the UK's cycling and walking infrastructure.

"Moving more will lead to a healthier nation, a reduced burden on the NHS, less cancer, heart disease and diabetes, and huge cost savings."

However, while GPs agree the pilot funding is "great news", with obesity a risk factor for Type-2 diabetes, cancers, liver and respiratory disease, some say overstretched surgeries cannot take on even more work created by the pilots.

"Should GPs refer people to these schemes, or should they look after sick people?" asked Doncaster GP Dr Dean Eggitt.  "We don't have capacity for both."

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