Xercise4Less has kicked off a new week-long wellness campaign providing bargain gym memberships to help NHS staff in Scotland stay fighting fit.

Throughout this week (18 to 24 April) the low cost gym chain will offer all NHS Scotland staff a £1 per month gym membership for a whole year, with no joining fee. The operator currently has four sites in Scotland – in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Renfrew and East Kilbride – but plans to double this figure by the end of 2016.

An Xercise4Less spokesperson told Health Club Management that although the deal is currently only available to workers in Scotland, the gym chain has hopes of expanding the programme in future.

“The NHS is a great, beloved British institution and their hard working professionals often work tirelessly and thanklessly to help those in need,” said Xercise4Less CEO Jon Wright.

“We wanted to take this opportunity to give something back and leave a working legacy from the success we have enjoyed, to say thank you to hard working professionals of the NHS while encouraging them to embrace a healthier lifestyle.”

The announcement is the latest initiative to help NHS staff lead healthier lifestyles, amid hopes such habits and education can cascade down to patients. It follows the creation of a £600m wellness fund by the NHS which will offer workers exercise classes, diet education and other support measures.

Commenting on the new Xercise4Less offer in Scotland, NHS Staff Benefits marketing manager Emma Quinn said: “We’re committed to offering a substantial employee benefit programme to NHS Staff, seeking out exciting deals and offers.

“In particular we are enthusiastic about working with clients which offer staff the tools to improve their health and wellbeing. When we were approached by Xercise4Less to offer NHS staff such a significant saving on the costs of an annual gym membership, we knew it was something which we should promote and encourage them to take advantage of.”