Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has taken delivery of the first three vehicles procured via a salary sacrifice scheme provided by Automotive Leasing, the specialist public sector division of fleet management company LeasePlan, in a sole-supply partnership with Derwent Shared Services.

Automotive Leasing’s ‘SalaryPlan’ scheme allows eligible full-time NHS employees to gain access to a new company car at an affordable price by giving up part of their salary.

It says that NHS staff participating in the scheme can expect to save between £60 and £100 a month compared to buying a new car in the retail market, as well as gaining access to Automotive Leasing’s network of support services and vehicle maintenance benefits.

Using Automotive Leasing’s online portal, employees who wish to access the scheme can calculate costs and choose from over 5,000 vehicles. Over a dozen orders have been placed so far.

Tim Meadows, brand director at Automotive Leasing, said: “At a time when public sector pay is carefully scrutinised, we are seeing a number of organisations like Berkshire looking for attractive and cost-effective incentives for their employees.

“Salary sacrifice schemes like SalaryPlan are a great solution, giving employees access to a new vehicle, without a prohibitive associated cost.

“The first few orders have been confirmed and after strong initial interest we are looking forward to delivering more vehicles under this innovative and beneficial scheme.”

A spokesperson from Berkshire NHS Trust, said: “We wanted to go with a scheme that was flexible and designed to meet the motoring needs of our staff, offering them an exceptional benefit at a relatively low cost with hassle free motoring.”