Seldoc Healthcare has deployed a fleet of Toyota RAV4 full hybrids, cutting emissions while providing year-round mobility.

A new batch of six RAV4 Design Hybrids have now been added to the existing four on the Seldoc Healthcare fleet

Seldoc is a not-for-profit GP co-operative that serves 2.5 million patients in SE and SW London. It has around 100 member GP practices – providing a number of services to different parts of the NHS – and the team is on call 24/7.

Due to the pandemic, and increased requirement for their home visiting services, the team needed greater mobility and very reliable vehicles, and turned to long-term fleet partner, Fleet Alliance.

Jonathan Nolan, who manages the Seldoc Healthcare relationship, recommended the RAV4 Design 2.5-litre automatic all-wheel drive hybrid, which would provide cleaner, greener running with AWD capability to keep the team mobilised under any weather conditions.

A new batch of six RAV4 Design Hybrids have now been added to the existing four on the fleet. Rather than being outright-purchased, the new vehicles are being leased on three-year/36,000-mile contracts with full maintenance, bringing lower operating costs. The vehicles are also able to be managed through Fleet Alliance’s e-Fleet fleet management platform.

“We sourced the vehicles through our multi-funding panel to ensure the best possible price and have taken all the hassle of fleet administration away from Seldoc so they can concentrate on their core business and we can focus on ours,” said Nolan.

The new vehicles have been specially modified to meet Covid guidelines, with partitions fitted between the front and rear seats so that drivers and doctors are socially distanced.

Further modifications included roof bars fitted with green, not blue, lights, signwriting including the essential ‘Doctor on Call’, and distinctive green and yellow ‘Battenberg’ markings for greater visibility. The RAV4s have also been fitted with in-vehicle telematics for better route planning and reduced response times.

Seldoc healthcare finance director Matt Abercrombie commented: “We needed the right vehicles to support our clinical teams and deliver services as safely as possible – with plenty of space for all the necessary medical equipment and enough room to accommodate both driver and GP socially distanced, with internal screens fitted.

“We also wanted the new vehicles to be as green as possible from a clean air point of view and to have year-round capability with all-wheel drive. Jonathan Nolan was able to deliver the perfect vehicles to meet our needs. Our drivers and clinical teams are delighted with this vehicle upgrade.”