Behind the Scheme: London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

“…the offer to staff of a fully maintained, brand new car of their choosing and under a financially advantageous scheme, was considered as a high priority in tackling the staff retention issues we were experiencing.”

Since the introduction of Tusker’s Car Benefit Scheme, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, has seen a substantial increase in employee retention. During the first 18 months, employee turnover reduced from 14.5%, to almost half, at 8.1%, and this is expected to continue to fall as more employees take up the scheme.

It was these results which enabled the London Ambulance Service, together with Tusker, to receive the “Best Travel Benefit” award at the Employee Benefits Awards in 2017.

Greg Masters, Senior Human Resources Manager who was involved in the appointment of Tusker comments, “Until the introduction of the Tusker Car Benefit Scheme in 2015, there were hardly any benefits on offer to staff, other than their salary. We had seen that Paramedics were leaving the Service in considerable numbers – going to other NHS Ambulance Trusts who were perceived to offer a better package. This has now been reversed.”

Greg continues, “With the majority of our staff working shifts that may finish after most public transport had ceased, the offer to staff of a fully maintained, brand new car of their choosing and under a financially advantageous scheme, was considered as a high priority in tackling the staff retention issues we were experiencing.”

The Trust looked at a number of potential suppliers which met with the requirements of NHS procurement, which are fairly extensive. Tusker quickly emerged as being the supplier of choice based on their end user systems, value for money, NHS framework compliance, and the flexibility of the offer.

On launch, the scheme attracted considerable interest, with London Ambulance heading for a take-up rate of approx. 7%, with over 200 London Ambulance staff now driving Tusker cars and enjoying the hassle-free benefit the scheme provides.

Greg comments, “The very first order in the London Ambulance scheme was for a plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi placed by a Paramedic who lives 15 miles away from his ambulance station. With this distance he explained he could achieve a zero cost and zero emission commute solely on renewable energy, sourced from his home’s solar panels. His car even attracts a 100% discount on the Congestion Charge!”

Providing brand new, all-inclusive cars for employees, Tusker delivers a worry-free option for staff with this highly sought-after benefit. As the cars are supplied with full-comprehensive insurance, road tax, servicing, maintenance, tyres and roadside assistance, all the driver has to do is add fuel.

The Car Benefit Scheme enables eligible employees to take a car in exchange for giving up part of their gross salary, while also meeting with the Council’s requirements for CO₂ reductions. Each car on Tusker’s scheme is carbon-neutral, and by choosing a ULEV, it can also help drivers maximise cost efficiencies as they attract both tax and National Insurance savings. London Ambulance also added an emissions cap of 119 CO₂ in order to further reduce the potential impact of cars on the roads.

The scheme is available directly or via a number of procurement frameworks, including NOE CPC and the LCC framework.