Your travel choices when working for us

Commuting to, and travelling for work, at the Northern Care Alliance

At Northern Care Alliance we are striving to enable travel and commuting which allows;

  • You to save time to do other things, like catching up, exercising, seeing more of your community and colleagues.
  • Commuting options which can save money in the short and longer terms, by sharing or removing costs to individuals and also improving our whole environment.
  • More flexibility in available travel modes and work options to support our communities socially and economically.

As part of working for or joining us here at Northern Care Alliance, we would encourage you to consider how you are going to travel to and from working with us -  your commute and possible options for this based upon working hours and locations.

Choice

Do you want travel and commuting which improve you and your communities, living spaces, health and wellbeing or…

Time and expense lost struggling to travel and commute; whilst congestion and journey times increase, air quality declines and you become ever more constrained by limited, inflexible choices.

Plan

Three things are key to help in achieving the vision:

  • Travelling less – do you need to make, or can you reduce, the journey?
  • Travelling differently – would you use an alternative commuting method?
  • Working flexibly – are you able to work differently to reduce your travel and commuting impacts?

myptp – a free personalised journey plan

To find out about alternative travel options for your commute or work journey, plus further information on support and guidance available, please click on one of the buttons below to start creating your free myptp plan as many times as you need.

Bury Care Organisation – plan your journey to 10 work locations around Bury

Oldham Care Organisation - plan your journey to 9 work locations around Oldham

Rochdale Care Organisation - plan your journey to 12 work locations around Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale

Salford Care Organisation - plan your journey to 13 work locations around Salford

There are a number of different commuting options available for all of our work locations and as part of our commitment to the health and wellbeing of colleagues and the wider community, plus towards delivering a net zero National Health Service to mitigate the impacts of climate change, we encourage active and sustainable commuting in the first instance wherever possible.

The following information provides details of the various commuting options available.  Please have a read through this and even if you only try different commute options occasionally, it can make a real difference.

Travel Choice image.png

We provide staff parking at our hospital sites, which also uses some private parking areas nearby, but this is limited in capacity and we cannot guarantee individuals a parking space.  During peak daytime periods, as with most hospitals, our demand for parking exceeds supply.  We operate a parking policy and an application system for staff parking using allocation to controlled areas and criteria to obtain a permit to seek to manage this. 

For more information on our parking in general, including patient and visitor parking, please see Car Parking section. For information regarding staff and contractor parking and applying for parking, please see Staff and Contractor Parking Applications webpage.

Walking or running...

Can improve your health and see our surrounding area at a different pace?   A short lunchtime walk around the hospital site can provide a break.  We have information on a 30-minute lunchtime walk available for our four hospital sites.

 

  • NCA Bike Hire via Manchester Bikes - colleagues can access this bike hire scheme with Manchester Bikes with the first month trial rental free, and further discounted rental and purchase options.
  • Build your confidence on two wheels by attending free courses offered by Transport for Greater Manchester.
  • Get social, with Love to Ride – which is all about getting more people riding bikes using an online encouragement platform
  • If working for us for longer than 12 months (other conditions also apply), purchase a bike and, or equipment up to the value of £5k, register with the Vivup Cycle to Work Scheme for more information.

How to get your bike fixed and, or checked?

  • DIY! Learn the basic essentials with this simple Cycling UK Guide.
  • Attend a free course on bike maintenance offered by Transport for Greater Manchester
  • Seek professional advice from your local bike shop, including our friends at Manchester Bikes; do contact them for help and advice (0161 769 5050). Their shop is on Chapel Street in Salford, but they also hold some maintenance and training sessions at our hospital sites. Check their website for details.

Where to park your bike?

Register here to gain access to the bike facilities, there is no charge for their use.  Please see table at end of this document for available bike parking.

Top Tip: View the recommended ways to lock your bike, to make it as hard as possible for someone to steal it.

It's not all about lycra and racing...

We are keen to connect our hospitals to a wider safe cycling network in Greater Manchester. There are quieter routes around each of our hospitals, including cycle priority measures around the Salford Royal and Royal Oldham Hospitals. A steady bike ride, or using an electrically assisted bike, can mean you can arrive at work ready to go, no sweat.

Shower & changing facilities

To freshen up and prepare for your day, complete this short online registration form to access specific shower/ change areas for cyclists/ walkers.  Please see table at end of this document for available locations.

Need more help or general advice? 

Join the NCA Active Travel MS Teams Group when you get your full digital access or look out for the myptp options to create your own online travel plan for any journey to and from our hospital sites.

Please can I ask that you register as a cyclist too. Please always secure your bike in the shelter at all times.

Bike Parking & Facilities Application Form (office.com)

23-0145 Organic Socials-13.jpgOur hospital sites and surrounding areas are served by a number of bus routes, including frequent services. Visit the Bee Network website for public transport information and for real time bus tracking (nationally) click here. Please see table at end of this document for details of main bus services to our hospitals.  As part of getting ready for teh full launch of the Bee Network in Greater Manchester (Say yellow to the Bee Network | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM) single bus fares have been reduced in price to £2 per adult, with all bus operator day tickets reduced to £5 within Greater Manchester, from 4th September 2022 onwards.

For more information see the Bee Network website for public transport information, download the Bee Network app, see links below, or search the web for the relevant service operator.

 

 

For buses serving Fairfield General Hospital:

Fairfield General Hospital | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM

For buses serving Royal Oldham Hospital:

Royal Oldham Hospital | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM

For buses serving Rochdale Infirmary:

Rochdale Infirmary | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM

For buses serving Salford Royal Hospital:

Salford Royal Hospital | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM

Other Bus Tickets & Apps

System One - All operator bus and ‘multi-mode’ transport tickets

Are available for travel on all bus operators in Greater Manchester and also to use the bus with the tram or train.  For more details about these see www.systemonetravel.co.uk.

Stagecoach Manchester buses

Stagecoach Manchester provide a dedicated webpage which provides a standard discount for some online tickets (Northern Care Alliance NHS | Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)

See Stagecoach website or search Stagecoach Bus on the App Store and Google Play stores for their app.

Go North West buses

For real time information on your journeys and the cheapest ticket prices, download the Go North West app from the App Store or Google Play Store. See Go North West for more details. 

Transdev Rosso buses

Transdev Rosso currently offer their ‘Commuter Travel Club’ (Fairfield Hospital signs up to save 10% on bus travel with Commuter Club - Transdev (transdevbus.co.uk))for colleagues at Bury Care Organisation and Rochdale Care Organisation.

To claim your discounted tickets, download the Transdev Go app and look for Commuter Club in the tickets section. Search Transdev Go on the App Store and Google Play stores. 

First Greater Manchester buses

Buy bus tickets on a smartphone using the First Bus App. See First Group website or download from App Store or Google Play stores. 

We also have been part of the First Bus Commuter Travel Club for a number of years, which allows discounts on tickets purchased via their app (Commuter Travel Club | Greater Manchester | First Bus)

For more information on tram services, see the TfGM website. Please see further details in table at end of document for which Metrolink stops are closest to our hospitals.

We have a discount scheme for annual tickets and are about to launch a further promotion in conjunction with TfGM for colleagues to travel by tram. Please email for a further discussion by clicking on this link.

Travel by train for part of your commute is possible for all of our sites with Salford Royal Hospital and Rochdale Infirmary being a relatively short travel distance to stations.  Please see further details in table at end of document for which stations are closest to our hospitals.

Northern Railway app

Buy tickets on a smartphone using the Northern Railway Smartphone App. No need to queue to buy a paper ticket. The ticket appears on your phone. www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/free-mobile-app

Cut fuel costs in half by sharing a car journey with a colleague. Be a SuperCommuter and share journeys simply and flexibility, if and when you want.

LiftShare is available at each care organisation to find and offer sharing journeys. Search ‘nca.liftshare.com’ to find out more and sign up or scan the QR code to just sign up.  The more sign ups the greater the number of potential journeys.

Look our for LiftShare 'Perks' coming soon, such as dedicated parking spaces and rewards for sharing and authenticating the most trips.

Liftshare QR Code.png

We have a very limited number of EV charge points at each hospital site, the majority of which are also available for use by the general public.  Please see further details in table below the main page.

We are looking at options to expand our EV charging and will also be setting up an MS Teams EV Engagement Group, so look out for more details.

Motorbikes, mopeds, and scooters are exempt from the payment aspects of the parking policy, as long as they do not occupy a defined car parking space, block walkways or entrances/ exits.  

We also have some motorbike parking areas at certain hospital sites, please see further details in table at end of document.

Summary of Transport Facilities at Our Sites

Hospital

Fairfield General Hospital

Rochdale Infirmary

The Royal Oldham Hospital

Salford Royal Hospital

Address

Rochdale Old Road

Bury

BL9 7TD

Whitehall Street

Rochdale

OL12 0NB

Rochdale Road

Oldham

OL1 2JH

Stott Lane

Salford

M6 8HD

Site maps

Visit the Trust website and look in the getting here sections

Minibus Shuttles

Minibus services for colleagues only, operate from Royal Oldham Hospital to/ from Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary & Salford Royal Hospital.  For more details see the 'Transport Service' section on My Hub.  

Cycling (See previous details for more information, check when registering)

Cycle parking

Yes, 28 space bike hub, 6 bike pods around site, plus a bike shelter.

Yes, 20 space bike hub using ID badge access.

Motorbike parking at rear of Main Entrance

Yes, bike hub using ID Badge access by Estates Dept & bike hub with access opp. Main Entrance.

Motorbike parking off Royal Parade & Main Drive

Yes, multiple locations, including 3 bike hubs. Check when registering.

Motorbike Parking opposite Hope Building drop off area

Showers / Changing

Yes, check

Yes, check

Yes

Yes

Travel by public transport - Public Transport & Local Link information

For up to date and clear public transport information including routes for bus and

Metrolink, stop locations and ticket prices go to the Bee Network website.

Main bus stop locations and route numbers

Rochdale Old Road

Buses 467,468

Jericho Road

Bus B3

Whitehall Street

Bus R1

Whitworth Road

Bus 464

Rochdale Road

Buses 149, 159, 183, 402, 409

Sheepfoot Lane

Buses 149, 159, 402

Featherstall Road North

Bus 182

Eccles Old Road

Buses 10, 20, 35, 52, 67, 67a, 100

Stott Lane

Buses 20, 29

Bus service details

Fairfield General Hospital | Bee Network

Rochdale Infirmary | Bee Network

Royal Oldham Hospital | Bee Network

Salford Royal Hospital | Bee Network

Metrolink stops within 1.5 miles/ 30min walk

Visit TfGM for further details on fares and tram routes.  For details of individual tram stops detailed below see Tram stops | Transport for Greater Manchester.

  • Bury Interchange is the nearest stop
  • Rochdale Town Centre (Interchange)
  • Oldham King Street
  • Westwood
  • Ladywell

Train Stations nearby,

For information in stations listed below see Train stations - Bee Network.

None, see Metrolink

Rochdale

None, see Metrolink

Eccles or Salford Crescent.

Travel by car

Directions/ maps

Fairfield General Hospital

Rochdale Infirmary

The Royal Oldham Hospital

Salford Royal

Electric vehicle charging point locations*

Patient and Visitor

Car Park 1 - provided by Be EV

Opposite Main Entrance (Patient and Visitor

Car Park 1) - provided by Be EV

Patient and Visitor

Car Park 2- provided by Be EV

Central Car Park  Zone 1, MSCP Level 1 – both provided by PodPoint

* Users need to register with the relevant provider before they use the electric charging points and the maximum period of use is 4 hours.  For more details on EV option and charging points in Greater Manchester see cleanairgm.com/electric-vehicles

Accessibility tools

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