Case Study: NHS Fife Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme

The Challenge

NHS Fife began exploring the introduction of an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme as they’d received a number of staff enquiries as awareness of such schemes at other Boards was growing. As electric vehicles became more prominent in the media and across other sectors, employees were increasingly interested in accessing the benefit through their employer.

At the same time, NHS Fife was keen to position itself as a progressive and forward-thinking board by acting as an early adopter, rather than waiting for larger organisations to lead the way. Unlike larger health boards, there was no dedicated transport function to own the scheme, meaning responsibility needed to be shared across finance, sustainability, and workforce teams.

There was also some initial concern around the complexity of implementation, particularly in relation to administration and ensuring that employees had clear visibility of how the scheme might impact areas such as pension contributions.

The Plan

To overcome these challenges, NHS Fife formed a small, cross-functional working group that brought together expertise from finance and procurement, sustainability, and workforce. This collaborative approach allowed the organisation to pool its internal knowledge and move the project forward without requiring additional resource.

Rather than undertaking a full procurement exercise, the team explored national framework options to identify compliant and efficient routes to market. This enabled them to move at pace while maintaining governance, and to focus their efforts on selecting a trusted delivery partner who could support both implementation and ongoing management.

The overarching aim was to create a scheme that delivered meaningful value for staff, supported sustainability ambitions, and could be implemented with minimal administrative burden on the organisation.

The Solution

NHS Fife implemented its electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme through the CPC Drive framework, partnering with Tusker as the scheme provider. This combination allowed the organisation to access a well-established, fully managed solution without the need for a time consuming and lengthy procurement process.

CPC Drive provided a compliant and streamlined route to market, with an end-to-end managed service, with Tusker covering vehicle sourcing, agreements, driver support, and scheme administration. This significantly reduced the internal resource required to launch and maintain the scheme, which had been a key concern during the planning phase.

The partnership model meant that the majority of day-to-day queries and operational processes were handled externally by Tusker and CPC Drive, allowing NHS Fife to retain oversight while avoiding having to manage large volumes of administration. Internal responsibilities were largely limited to payroll processing and standard HR checks, with clear processes in place to support these activities.

The scheme was introduced as a benefit that aligned closely with NHS Fife’s sustainability and workforce objectives, offering staff an accessible route into electric vehicle ownership while contributing to the organisation’s wider environmental goals.

Excellent Results (so far!)

The scheme has delivered a highly positive outcome for NHS Fife, with uptake significantly exceeding expectations. Initially forecasting around 100 vehicles in the first year, the organisation saw demand reach approximately double that figure, demonstrating strong engagement from staff and clear appetite for the benefit.

Implementation was smoother than anticipated, with the support provided by Tusker and CPC Drive playing a critical role in simplifying the complex. The concerns of high levels of administration haven’t occurred, as the vast majority of queries and operational issues were managed by the external partners. As a result, NHS Fife has not experienced the level of internal pressure that might typically be associated with launching a new benefit of this type.

While there has been an increase in internal activity due to the volume of applications, particularly around approvals and payroll processing, this has been viewed positively as a reflection of the scheme’s success. Issues have been minimal, with only isolated cases where employees required additional clarity, for example around pension implications or eligibility of the scheme.

Importantly, the scheme has delivered on its core objectives. It has enhanced the employee benefits offering, supported staff in transitioning to more sustainable transport options, and contributed to NHS Fife’s environmental ambitions. Although financial savings were not the primary driver, the scheme has also generated significant benefit in this area.

Overall, NHS Fife’s experience demonstrates how leveraging the CPC Drive framework alongside an established provider like Tusker can enable organisations to implement a complex scheme quickly, efficiently, and with a high degree of success.

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