Walking, wheeling and cycling to be offered on prescription in a nationwide trial

Social prescriptions, including walking, wheeling and cycling, will be offered by GPs as part of a new trial to improve mental and physical health and reduce disparities across the country, the government has announced (22 August 2022).

Eleven local authority areas in England are to benefit from £12.7 million in multi-year funding.

• Trials in 11 areas across the country
• GPs will be able to issue social prescriptions such as walking, wheeling and cycling
• Schemes will include cycling and walking groups, cycle training and free bike loans

The 11 local authority areas that will trial social prescriptions are:

• Bath and North East Somerset
• Bradford
• Cornwall
• Cumbria
• Doncaster
• Gateshead
• Leeds
• Nottingham
• Plymouth
• Suffolk
• Staffordshire

These pilots 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 towards a whole systems approach to health improvement and tackling health disparities.

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.

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 illnesses such as heart disease and obesity.
The pilots will be delivered between 2022 and 2025 with ongoing monitoring and evaluation to support continued learning.

Pindar Creative specialises in mapping and travel information to promote active travel. Recent projects include:

• Couch to Out and About map for Age Friendly Tameside; this map of short walks highlights benches where participants can take a break.
• Bradford St Luke's Hospital walking map; produced on behalf of Living Streets, this map encourages staff and outpatients to walk the 20-minute journey from the city centre to St Luke's.