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 10 km and 25% lived within 5 km. People living 5-10 km from the hospital were more likely to be active travellers than were those living less than 5 km 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.