Pedal and Post halve van delivery times on medical deliveries

Cargo bike delivery firm Pedal and Post of Oxford have furthered the case for logistics businesses factoring in bike-based delivery, revealing that it has halved delivery times versus vans for critical temperature controlled medical goods for its local healthcare service.

The initial deliveries  took place in August of 2020, where the OUH trust and Baxter healthcare recruited Pedal and Post to deliver 25,000 Patient-specific chemotherapy, antibiotic, and intravenous nutrition products.

Delivery times of goods leaving Baxter’s compounding facility in Cowley were 30 minutes for delivery to the John Radcliffe Hospital and 20 to the Churchill Hospital. These were cut to 15 and 10 minutes, respectively.

Bhulesh Vadher, Chief Pharmacist at the Trust, said: “This is a fantastic example of collaboration and innovation between the Trust, Baxter, and Pedal and Post, helping to deliver a more efficient service and the best possible care for our patients.

“The transport of chemotherapy from Baxter to our hospital sites is no longer dependant on factors outside of the company’s control, such as peak hour traffic, flow of traffic onto the hospital site, and road works.

“That unpredictability was putting pressure on NHS staff to deliver chemotherapy treatments in a timely manner, and it was also impacting our patients’ experience throughout treatment.

“The new bike courier service has taken away all the unnecessary extra pressure on NHS staff and has considerably reduced the delivery time. Using bikes instead of cars or vans is also better for the environment and the Oxfordshire community.”

The NHS has committed to cut its carbon emissions down to net zero by 2040.

Chris Benton, Managing Director at Pedal & Post, said: “This has been an exciting opportunity to showcase what cargo bikes are capable of and I’m extremely proud of the Team at Pedal & Post with how successful the project has been.

“It demonstrates how moving to emission free courier services can actually improve patient care while also tackling the climate emergency, promoting active travel, improving local air quality, and congestion.

“The reception from patients and the wards to us in our blue cycling jerseys has been really positive, and we’re hoping to expand on this success with the NHS Trust in the future.”

The case for cargo bike deliveries was last year made in forensic fashion by London-based PedalMe, whose Data Scientist Nicolas Collignon left no stone unturned when comparing the firm’s fleet data to other options. On every metric – from speed to pollution savings – the cargo bike came out on top versus van delivery.