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The NHS and Active Travel

(11 posts)

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    I’m sure ‘we’ all know the arguments about how encouraging walking and cycling can improve individual and societal health and save the NHS money.

    The reality is of course more complex. The new Royal Infirmary was planned without adequate cycle infrastructure. Poor provision on Old Dalkeith Road, STEPS on the path from Craigmillar - and the non appearance of the direct, flat, path from Greendykes.

    There have been some improvements since.

    Today, for the first time, it suited me to cycle right through the Royal Ed grounds.

    I understand the point of barriers to stop this being used as a rat run, but the lack of provision for walking and cycling is disappointing (or is there another route i didn’t notice?)

    At the Western General there is a less than wonderful route with similar barriers. But at least the ends have been cut off so you can get round them easily.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  2. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    There is a shared path from the entrance on Myreside Rd to the south end of the new building that the road your pics were taken on, circumnavigates to the north. It is a bit of a path to nowhere as it stops abruptly and the onward choices are cyclocrossing straight ahead on a muddy and rutted track, or taking a left onto a blaize footpath presumably not intended to be shared, which takes you back to the road network. The roads themselves are quite unpleasant as every available inch and a few more besides are given over to car parking, leaving the roadways too narrow and on a bike, you’ll be intently driven at by oncoming trafffic. It’s like every other SNHS site, in other words.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    Thanks

    “There is a shared path from the entrance on Myreside Rd to the south end of the new building”

    Ok, will look

    “It is a bit of a path to nowhere as it stops abruptly and the onward choices are cyclocrossing straight ahead on a muddy and rutted track, or taking a left onto a blaize footpath presumably not intended to be shared“

    Mmm

    “every available inch and a few more besides are given over to car parking“

    Yes, even on the fading Double Yellows.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  4. fimm
    Member

    "blaize footpath presumably not intended to be shared"
    I'm pretty sure that it is, given that it connects to the cycle path at the far end. Certainly once you are through that bit you can cycle all the way through to Tipperlin Road without encountering any barriers. I used to cycle that way fairly routinely.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  5. neddie
    Member

    In true Edinburgh-style, they've created a beautiful cycle path, that doesn't connect to anything

    Here's my experience of cycling through the Royal Edinburgh Hospital with a tandem, taking mini-neddie in the healthiest way to her football match.

    We had to dismount twice: once to lift the tandem over the logs, the second time to get up the steep narrow ramp with railings and tight turns...

    royal ed

    Posted 5 months ago #

  6. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I used @neddie's initially green and then dashed red route last time, and yes, the gate with the logs is a real barrier.

    I usually turn off earlier and use the cinders path past the Royal Edinburgh Building: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7759607 - it's pretty doable even in the red torpedo. The first gate you come to heading east, where the route goes past the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens, isn't often open.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  7. neddie
    Member

    The cinders path is possible, but there's absolutely zero signage for people walking or on bikes, and it's really easy to get lost.

    It's almost like they only want people in cars to come in.

    And they are literally treating people with mental health problems - don't they realise that active travel helps prevent those problems in the first place?

    Posted 5 months ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    Sad truth is that the NHS isn’t really run for its “customers’ (or most staff).

    Bigger problem is that Govs are reluctant to deal with things more holistically, cowed by ideologies, lobbyists, media and voters - particularly the insane and inaccurate belief that everyone who votes drives.

    Yes there have been smoking bans (initially SNP), sugar tax (Tory), widespread 20mh (Welsh Lab).

    But cigarette ban by increasing buying age (seems to have) vanished with the election. An election where Lab has declared ‘it’s the party for motorists’. Didn’t have to, probably won’t get it any extra votes, just sets a marker…

    And the SNP thinks blanket free parking is a priority.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  9. fimm
    Member

    Arellcat's route is what I used to do.

    Posted 5 months ago #

  10. ejstubbs
    Member

    "cigarette ban by increasing buying age (seems to have) vanished with the election."

    Revealed: how Sunak dropped smoking ban amid lobbying from tobacco firms

    ...the proposal was excluded from the “wash-up” process, when outgoing governments choose which policies to fast-track and which to drop.

    The policy, which in effect banned smoking for anyone born after 2008, was left out despite MPs having voted in favour of it.

    Documents and freedom of information requests reveal how four of the world’s largest tobacco firms – the UK’s Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and US-headquartered Philip Morris International (PMI) – put ministers on notice of a legal backlash.

    Imperial and BAT wrote to the health secretary, Victoria Atkins, in February, to claim the consultation process preceding legislation was “unlawful” because industry views had not been considered.

    The Department of Health and Social Care has said it did not need to consider industry views, pointing to guidance included in a World Health Organization global treaty, signed by the UK, that says governments should form smoking policy without influence from cigarette companies.

    Complaints about consultations not being sufficiently representative: where have we heard that before?

    Posted 5 months ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    Yeah, was referring to all that.

    Ideal opportunity for another party to promise to reinstate proposal…

    (With or without ‘proper’ consultation.)

    Posted 5 months ago #

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