NHS Driver Training Flows Smoothly Thanks To Road Range
Road transport has been called the lifeblood of a successful economy – but for one Liverpool-based team of drivers that statement is undeniably true.
The staff at the city’s NHS Blood and Transplant depot are working towards their compulsory Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) qualifications with training provided by Mercedes-Benz Dealer Road Range.
The new Driver CPC seeks to improve safety and raise professionalism within the transport industry. Its introduction means that everyone who makes their living behind the steering wheel of a truck has to undergo at least 35 hours of formal training before the deadline in September.
Like most forward-thinking operators, NHS Blood and Transplant General Manager Geoff Cotter has been preparing for the new legislation for some time and his 300 drivers, at more than 15 centres across the UK, are well on their way to achieving their qualifications comfortably in advance of the cut-off.
In Liverpool, Transport Logistics Manager Phil Loy sees the required training as much more than just an exercise in tiresome box-ticking. “I spoke to at least five different providers before deciding to use Road Range,” he says. “They impressed me not only with the content of their programme, but also in the way they explained how they go about delivering both classroom and on-the-road sessions.
“Our drivers are all highly experienced and would not have expected to find themselves back in a classroom after years on the road. The Road Range training team of James Green and Dylan Yates make the process interesting, interactive and informative, and never talk down to them.
“Our staff quickly understand the point is not to tell them how to do their jobs, but to give them useful hints and tips on how to get the best efficiency from their vehicles, to use the modern technology to its best effect and to be even safer. The reaction to the training programme has been very positive.”
James Green, Road Range CPC Driver Training Manager, adds: “We sat down with the NHS Blood and Transplant team to discuss their requirements and came up with a tailored scheme to provide everything they need, and add genuine value to their operation.”
The Speke-based Liverpool team comprises 25 drivers who use anything from estate cars to 7.5-tonne trucks to deliver blood and blood products to hospitals in Merseyside and North Wales up to twice a day. They also transport staff and equipment to blood donation sessions in public buildings around the region. Road Range is also providing training for staff based at Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield.
Their programme consists of five, day-long modules delivered at intervals, meaning that at completion each driver will have met the CPC requirement for 35 hours of periodic training delivered in blocks of not less than seven hours. Equally importantly, they will have been given the opportunity to learn how to perform their jobs to an even higher level.
