First NHS trust pilots riverboat delivery service

Guy’s and St Thomas’​ NHS Foundation Trust has become the first in the country to pilot a daily riverboat delivery service as part of plans to reduce its carbon footprint.

The Trust has teamed up with CEVA Logistics and Livett’s Group to trial the service on the River Thames.

If the proof of concept pilot is successful, the service will operate on a larger scale, removing trucks from the capital’s roads while providing a reliable delivery route into London during the day. The Trust’s three delivery trucks currently travel around 1,500 miles per week. For each truck removed from the road, approximately 708 kgs of CO2 could be saved per week. 

The service would help Guy’s and St Thomas’ work towards its aim of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and support the Mayor of London‘s aim to reduce the number of lorries and vans entering central London in the morning peak by 10% by 2026.

The riverboat pilot service will run twice a day, five days a week. Parcels will be loaded onto the boat at Dartford International Ferry Terminal in Kent, before making the journey to Butler’s Wharf Pier in London. The parcels, which include clinical supplies for operating theatres, will then be transported by Absolutely, the final mile delivery partner, on electric cargo bikes to Guy’s Hospital.