One of the first NHS Trusts in the country to introduce a car salary sacrifice scheme has retained the Leasedrive Group to deliver its mycar service.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust took the decision to retain Leasedrive to run its car salary sacrifice scheme when the three-year contract recently came to an end.

Anne Burton, staff support and benefits co-ordinator from Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very happy with the mycar scheme and the service we receive from Leasedrive.

“Any issues that have come up along the way, whether it be HR or Inland Revenue requirements, Leasedrive has dealt with them effectively, taking the weight from my shoulders. We have the right scheme and the right people to help us run it.

“I’m pleased we introduced salary sacrifice for cars, both as an employer and as someone who has received a vehicle through the scheme.

“The cost and environmental savings are clear to see and we’ve had a lot of interest from other hospital trusts enquiring about the mycar scheme and how it works. In the current economic climate it is very useful to have another benefit to be able to reward staff.”

Pete Nolan, national sales manager from Leasedrive, said: “As well as introducing an attractive benefit, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was also concerned about reducing the environmental and health and safety risk from its grey fleet.

“Besides delivering new vehicles that are fully maintained, serviced and insured for business use, we also help the Trust to monitor its emissions savings as employees give up older more polluting cars for newer more environmentally friendly vehicles.

“The salary sacrifice scheme encourages employees to choose a lower CO2 emitting vehicle because they have to pay benefit in kind tax.

“This means that as well as saving the Trust on average £700 a year in national insurance and pension contributions for every employee that joins the scheme, mycar is also helping to meet environmental targets.”

The scheme was originally introduced as a benefit to all staff on a permanent contract within the Trust, which also offers a separate lease car scheme for essentials users such as community midwives.

However, the mycar scheme is so flexible and cost effective that some essential users are choosing to join the mycar scheme instead, with the Trust paying a contribution towards their vehicle.

Under the mycar initiative, employees sacrifice some of their salary in exchange for a brand new vehicle which is fully serviced and maintained. The employee saves tax and national insurance on the money sacrificed, making it a very cost effective way of leasing a car.

The salary sacrificed is also deemed as non-pensionable so employees in the NHS Pension scheme make an additional saving.


 

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