Construction work is under way on two modern bike compounds for staff cycling to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.

Each purpose-built cycling compound will have capacity for 100 bikes, with a gas-assisted higher tier, similar to the cycle parking at York Train Station.

The secure compounds, only accessed by trust staff, will have mixed gender shower blocks with changing areas and will be based in the central location in both hospital grounds, allowing easy access for staff working in all wards and departments while remaining under the watch of security surveillance and patrols.

Alex Best, Head of Capital Development at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH), said: “These fantastic facilities will be a major asset to the growing number of our staff now opting to leave their cars at home and cycle to work.

“They will be able to lock up their bikes, knowing they are in the safest place possible, instead of running the risk of finding their bike has been taken by gangs of thieves known to have targeted our hospitals in the past.

“The shower and changing facilities blocks will mean all staff now have access to changing facilities at all times of the day and night, regardless of where in the hospitals they work.”

The new compounds, costing £180,000, are part of HUTH’s Getting to Work project to encourage staff to find alternative ways of travelling to their jobs instead of taking the car.

Part of the trust’s Zero Thirty campaign to achieve major environmental improvements, three free park-and-ride services have been introduced for staff along with discounted bus travel on Stagecoach services with the SmartCommute card to help those not on the park-and-ride routes.

The trust has teamed up with East Riding of Yorkshire Council to hold bike events to encourage staff to cycle to work, including “Be Safe, Be Seen” events to give away free bike lights and hi-vis backpack covers, safer route planning to help staff find the best way from their home to work and security marking events with Humberside Police.

Free bike maintenance events have also been held at Castle Hill with Cottingham-based charity R-evolution and for staff at Hull Royal with Hull charity Giroscope.

As a result of the project, the same number of applications for HUTH’s Cycle to Work scheme were received in the first three months compared to the whole of 2021.

For those staff who do not qualify because of Government rules on minimum take-home pay, the trust has worked with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and R-evolution to provide free bikes for loan.

The trust was named finalists in two national awards by Modeshift, leaders in sustainable travel in the UK, recently for its Getting to Work project and its ongoing partnership with East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Work has been started on the construction of both compounds, which are expected to be open to staff by the end of the year.