GPs are set to start prescribing walking and cycling as part of a nationwide trial to help boost people's mental and physical wellbeing across the country. The Department for Transport announced on Monday that £12.7m has been passed to 11 local authorities, including Leeds, to fund pilot social prescriptions as well as adult cycle training and free bike loans.
GP prescriptions will also include wheeling for wheelchair or mobility users, the department added. However, other schemes will also be introduced such as all-ability cycling taster days and exercise mental health groups.
The Government has announced that the authorities involved must improve infrastructure alongside the trials to make sure people feel safe whilst taking part in the activities. The pilots will kick off this year and run until 2025 in Bath and North East Somerset, Bradford, Cornwall, Cumbria, Doncaster, Gateshead, Leeds, Nottingham, Plymouth, Suffolk and Staffordshire.
