Developing a hospital travel plan: Process and baseline findings from a western Sydney hospital

Objective. To describe the development of a hospital travel plan and report baseline findings. Methods. The development of a travel plan involved an assessment of organisational barriers and enablers to travel planning, auditing of the transport to and physical environment of the hospital, a staff survey, analysis of distances staff travel to work and interviews with hospital managers. Results. There were no significant organisational impediments to, and consistent managerial support for a travel plan. The staff survey response rate was similar to response rates in workplace surveys delivered mostly online via all staff emails (n≤804, 25%). The majority (83%) of respondents drove to work on most days during the week of the survey, and the majority of drivers (58%) said they were not trying to reduce their car use and not thinking of doing so. Half (47%) of all hospital staff (n≤3222) lived within 10km and 25% lived within 5km. People living 5-10km from the hospital were more likely to be active travellers than were those living less than 5km from the hospital (AOR 2.7, 95% (CI): 1.6-4.5), as were male than female staff (AOR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.9). Conclusions. The process and baseline findings described in this paper are a useful reference for Australian hospitals developing travel plans. What is known about the topic Concerns about congestion, parking restrictions and a sedentary workforce have prompted interest in workplace travel plans. Organisational travel plans show promise for decreasing car use and improving employee health. What does this paper add This paper describes a process and planning tools for developing a travel plan that is practical for use in Australian hospitals. It reports original data on travel modes for hospital staff, and identifies factors associated with walking and cycling to work. These include living closer to work and being male. What are the implications for practitioners Australian hospitals can use the approach and process described to develop their own travel plans. The data on travel modes to work are a potential reference point for other healthcare organisations.