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More people leaving shops without paying amid cost-of-living crisis

1 Sep 2022

Home Office data has shown more customers leaving shops, restaurants and petrol stations without paying as the cost-of-living crisis bites. The data shows there were 51,486 offences of... Read more…

Charity ramps up financial advice for independent retailers

31 Aug 2022

Industry charity GroceryAid has teamed up with Business Debtline to provide support and guidance to the growing number of independent retailers facing debt and unpaid invoices.
The move... Read more…

Energy crisis prompts fears of a ‘generation of lost businesses’

30 Aug 2022

Nearly 14% of small UK businesses expect to close in the next twelve months, according to a new report published by the Federation of Small Businesses.
Read more…

Book sales set for new record

30 Aug 2022

The UK’s love affair with reading, rekindled during pandemic lockdowns, shows little sign of abating with almost £1 billion being spent on paperbacks and hardbacks already this... Read more…

GPs to prescribe cycling to help improve mental & physical health

24 Aug 2022

The Department for Transport has announced a £12.7m trial to begin later this year, in which GPs in England will be able to prescribe walking or cycling as a way of improving mental and... Read more…

Cyber security only prioritised by businesses after a data breach, DCMS reports

23 Aug 2022

Government research has revealed that UK businesses only begin to appreciate the importance of cyber security once the business has sustained a “serious” attack.
Read more…

Cash use fell again in 2021 as contactless accounts for a third of all payments

22 Aug 2022

In its latest Payment Markets Report, UK Finance has said that the 40.4 billion payments made by consumers and businesses in the UK during 2021 represented a return to pre-pandemic payment... Read more…

How Are Small Shops Valued

18 Aug 2022

Small shops are defined as any shop less than 1,850m² (or 20,000 ft²). There are around 500,000 small shops in England and Wales – accounting for £11.5bn worth of rateable... Read more…

Leading UK retailers urge police to “make retail crime a priority”

18 Aug 2022

Over 100 leading UK retailers have written a joint letter to Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales requesting that violence and abuse against retail workers be made a priority,... Read more…

BikeBiz opens nominations for retailer awards

17 Aug 2022

Industry magazine BikeBiz has opened nominations for its annual retailer awards in association with ArmaUrto. Categories include IBD of the Year, Omnichannel Retailer of the Year, and Best... Read more…

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GPs to prescribe cycling to help improve mental & physical health

Posted on in Cycles News, Outdoor News

The Department for Transport has announced a £12.7m trial to begin later this year, in which GPs in England will be able to prescribe walking or cycling as a way of improving mental and physical health and easing the burden on the NHS.

Initially 11 places will receive funding for doctors are to start "social prescription" pilots. The plan aims to reduce GP appointments and people's reliance on medication. The pilots run until 2025 in Bradford, Leeds, Doncaster, Cumbria, Gateshead, Nottingham, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Plymouth, Cornwall, Bath and NE Somerset.

The new Gear Change Plan pilots would be "hugely beneficial" to overall mental and physical health, said the DfT. The pilots will include adult cycle training for all abilities, plus more walking groups for exercise and mental health. Free bike loans will be offered.

Walking and cycling minister Trudy Harrison said more cycling and walking would "ease the burden on our NHS" as well as "improving air quality and reducing congestion".

The government said the authorities must also improve infrastructure, so people felt safe walking and cycling.

"We need healthier, cheaper and more pleasant ways to get around for everyday trips," he said cyclist Chris Boardman, commissioner of National Active Travel, a government agency set up to improve the UK's cycling and walking infrastructure.

"Moving more will lead to a healthier nation, a reduced burden on the NHS, less cancer, heart disease and diabetes, and huge cost savings."

However, while GPs agree the pilot funding is "great news", with obesity a risk factor for Type-2 diabetes, cancers, liver and respiratory disease, some say overstretched surgeries cannot take on even more work created by the pilots.

"Should GPs refer people to these schemes, or should they look after sick people?" asked Doncaster GP Dr Dean Eggitt.  "We don't have capacity for both."

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