On yer bike! Cycling and scenery benefits nurse who gears up for work commute and appointments

Breathing in the sea air and taking in Swansea Bay’s scenery on his daily commute to work gives Clinical Nurse Specialist James Plant a perfect start to the day.

Rather than taking his car to work and risk being held up in traffic, James has ditched the drive for the past eight years and instead cycles to work.

Keen to cut his impact on the environment, James also cycles to his appointments within Swansea Bay, with some as far as Ystradgynlais and in the Afan Valley.

With his bicycle taking advantage of networks of traffic-free cycle paths and nimbly navigating through lines of queuing vehicles when he is on the road, James often gets to his destinations at the same time - or sometimes even more quickly - than if he was driving.

PICTURED: James Plant cycles to work and his appointments to cut his and the health board's carbon footprint.

On average, he clocks up over 70 miles per week.

James is a Hepatology and Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) Clinical Nurse Specialist. His varied role includes working towards elimination of hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030, all while advocating for vulnerable adults and helping other practitioners develop services that are more inclusive for people who are excluded from traditional healthcare settings.

James said: “My base is in Singleton and I have a 6km cycle from my home every day, which I love. I cycle down Clyne Valley and along the seafront every morning to the office and it's the best way to start and end my day.

“It only takes me about 15mins, which is quicker than driving through the nightmarish school traffic. I work once or twice a week from sites in Port Talbot, whether that's in the health board’s Baglan HQ, Neath Port Talbot Hospital or community hubs. It's often more than a 50km round trip on the bike but I’d take that over sitting in traffic on Fabian Way any day. Again, it can often be faster than braving the car traffic anyway and the bike paths between Swansea and Port Talbot are great.”

With his role largely out in the community, it is a perfect opportunity for James to exercise while working.

James said: “I work primarily with substance users, homeless adults, prison leavers and do most of my reviews with people out and about amongst where they're sleeping rough, engaging with support services, or on the streets, so moving around on foot and on wheels is better than having to constantly find and pay for car parking or access to pedestrianised streets.

PICTURED: James makes the most of Swansea's seafront scenery on his commute to work.

“Some mornings I may be helping people work through treatment regimens to cure them of a hepatitis C infection, while other mornings I could be working from a drop-in service for homeless adults teaching people about drug harm reduction, taking a clinical vehicle out to support blood-borne virus screening strategies in community settings, or conducting home visits to care for people who can't travel to clinics.

“So it’s a lot on foot – or bike in my case – and it’s something which I really enjoy doing.”

With summer’s sunny evenings now in the distance, the challenges of autumn’s weather are now in full force.

But James won’t let the less favourable elements get in his way of his profession and passion.

James added: “In the summer the weather was mostly faultless, but there's nothing a set of waterproofs can't cope with when you’re up against it in term of the weather.

“There’s also shower and changing facilities at our sites, and for the longer distances I make sure I leave in plenty of time to ensure I’m not late.

“It’s something I’ve been doing since my brilliant work placement with the district nurses in my final year of studying Adult Nursing at Swansea University.

“I didn’t have a car so I found myself with a backpack full of dressings and creams going around Port Tennant and Bonymaen, and then chaining my bike to railings and outside GP surgeries.

“I've been cycling as long as I can remember - my dad and his dad both travelled to work exclusively by bike, going back many decades. I've been cycling to work since I started in Singleton Assessment Unit when I qualified in 2017, in HMP Swansea when I worked there as a prison nurse, and since then in my role as a BBV specialist. 

“It gives me a chance to make the most of the beautiful scenery we have in Swansea, particularly along the coast, and completely cuts out my emissions in terms of work travel. On top of that, it gives my general health and wellbeing and fitness a real boost too.”