As a start, your facilities manager or head of estates is a good idea. Also, the head of human resources has a responsibility for your health and wellbeing, so is a sensible target. Offer to meet to explain what you want.

Your Trust Chief Executive is worth contacting and a sample letter is included here.

If you are tempted to write to your representatives, ie MP or similar, please bear in mind that your Trust may well have grounds for complaint if your letter refers to them and hasn't first gone through your communications department! So here is a letter to an MP which shouldn't cause offence. It is a parliamentary protocol that MPs only deal with letters from their own constituents. Therefore, find your own MP by entering your postcode here.

Find your MP here.

Dear Chief Executive,

I am a cyclist working in your Trust. I am writing to you to appeal for better facilities so more of my colleagues can join me in cycling to and from work.

The benefits of increased rates of cycling are considerable. On a personal level, cyclists enjoy better health. A Danish study published 8 years ago demonstrated a 40% reduction in all cause mortality, attributable to cycle commuting. Cyclists save considerable amounts of money. On a public health perspective, the more journeys made by bicycle instead of by car, the less the incidence of obesity in society. Reductions in air pollution improves respiratory health. From an environmental perspective, an increased use of cycles leads to reduced road congestion and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Most importantly, no large business has introduced cycle friendly policies without benefiting financially. Absenteeism rates fall whilst retention rates rise and productivity consistently improves.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss any of the above statements.

There is a group of bicycle users already in this hospital. However, there are many more staff who would like the opportunity to cycle. To facilitate them in this healthy activity, mutually beneficial to the employer, cyclists need secure cycle storage, lockers, showers and washing facilities. These facilities are currently lacking.

On behalf of those staff already cycling and those who would like to start, can I appeal to you to make the simple improvements in hospital facilities necessary to allow us to cycle to work.

Yours sincerely.

Dear MP

I am a cyclist working for the NHS.

You will be aware of the benefits an increased level of cycling can bring to society. These include improvements in personal and public health as well as to the environment both local and global.

Less well known are the economic benefits. The cyclist will save considerable amounts of money by avoiding the costs of motoring. Every business that promotes cycling sees reduced absenteeism, increased staff retention and a rise in productivity.

The belief of UK cyclists is that the NHS is generally the last big business in town to promote cycling. As many of the benefits of cycling relate to personal and public health, this is odd.

Why can't the NHS be the UK's best employer, providing facilities to allow staff to take advantage of this healthy means of transport?

Please can you represent my wishes by contacting the ministers responsible for public health, the NHS and the environment. Please ask them to ensure the NHS leads the way in this important area.

Yours sincerely,