Speaking at the Sir Ludwig Guttmann Health Centre in east London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled the government’s new 10 Year Health Plan for England. The plan sets out how sets out how the government intends to reinvent the NHS through three key shifts:

• From hospital to community 
• From analogue to digital 
• From sickness to prevention 

The plan highlights the relationship between health and transport, outlining that air pollution is responsible for the equivalent of between 26,000 and 38,000 deaths per year in England, with working class communities most at risk of harm.  

CIHT supports the government’s commitment to decarbonising the transport system, rolling out clean technologies across the sector, and supporting increased active travel.  

We welcome the government’s pledged investment of £616 million to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure from 2026 to 2027 to 2029 to 2030 and funding of £15.6 billion for public and sustainable transport projects in towns and cities outside London.  

CIHT has previously outlined the excellent return on investment offered by schemes designed to encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle in our policy brief, Making the Case for Investment in Active Travel. Our upcoming report, Improving Health Through Active Travel, to be published later this year, will provide practical support to local authorities looking to implement more active travel by outlining common obstacles and strategies to overcome them.  

CIHT looks forward to continuing to work with HM Treasury, the Department for Transport, and other government departments to improve the transport network throughout England and ensure delivery of a transport network fit for all our futures.