BetterPoints shortlisted for Modeshift healthcare engagement award with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
BetterPoints has been shortlisted for Healthcare Engagement Project of the Year in this year’s Modeshift National Sustainable Travel Awards, for its game-changing travel surveys work with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
The Trust linked its annual Travel Survey with the BetterPoints Sheffield behaviour change programme, which rewards sustainable choices. Staff who complete the survey in the app are then incentivised to consider how they travel to work, and are rewarded with vouchers for hot drinks when they choose sustainable options like walking, cycling, or using public transport.
It’s a clever way of turning a standard data-gathering exercise into the first step in a much broader behaviour change journey.
And we know hot drinks are a compelling reward locally because the University of Sheffield cut more than 700 car journeys by regular drivers simply by offering a free coffee.
The initiative is an expansion of the BetterPoints Sheffield behaviour change programme for the City Council, which in turn followed the success of the Step Up Sheffield BetterPoints programme for the University of Sheffield.
In just six months, BetterPoints Sheffield attracted more than 10,000 users city-wide, cut more than 800,000 car journeys, and saved more than 400 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
And now, nearly 1,000 staff from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals have joined in too and are recording an average of 1,500 trips every day.
And that’s just the start. By using the BetterPoints app, staff are not only helping to reduce congestion and emissions, they’re also recording GPS data on their trips, giving the Trust rich insights into how people are travelling to work. This data complements survey responses and is a valuable resource for future transport planning.
Laura Fish, Sustainable Travel Manager at the Trust, said:
“BetterPoints has been a revelation for us as a Trust – not only the recognition of being the largest employer in Sheffield but recognised as an anchor institution. The engagement pushes us, as an organisation to do better!
“I can’t speak highly enough of the app, the prizes, the inspiration and the Team – they are making behaviour change possible, when I was beginning to think it wasn’t!”
But what makes this collaboration truly innovative is its scalability.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust is not working in isolation. The partnership with Modeshift and BetterPoints has created a framework that can be adopted by other institutions across the country. The Foundry Primary Care Network, Children’s NHS Trust, and Sheffield College have already adopted similar approaches, all seeing great results.
As Dr Jo Maher, Physical Activity Champion for South Yorkshire, says:
“All NHS staff should get support to make healthier, greener choices – and BetterPoints Sheffield is doing just that. It’s also helping my PCN engage colleagues so they can experience the health, economic, and social benefits of sustainable travel.”
The response to the Trust’s latest Travel Survey has jumped by 5% since 2022, hitting a 9.6% response rate, proving that these incentives work.
In-person engagement events are also planned to further boost participation and raise awareness among staff, ensuring that this initiative continues to grow.
As Sam Farrington, Transport Planner at Sheffield City Council, puts it:
“We all know about issues with car parking at hospitals – they’re big trip generators, so the innovative work that the partners have been doing is much needed.”
This partnership is proof that behaviour change programmes like BetterPoints Sheffield can help NHS staff make healthier, greener choices, while also reducing emissions and improving transport infrastructure.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals is showing how it’s done, and other NHS Trusts and large employers should take note.
Because they’re not just changing how people travel – they’re setting a standard for sustainable, active travel that can be replicated across the UK.
The future of transport is in partnerships like this. Let’s build on these early successes and keep pushing forward.
