The government has today announced details of its national Workplace Cardiovascular Disease Health Checks pilot programme

Herefordshire Council was successful in bidding for this programme and will be working with Taurus Healthcare’s Talk Wellbeing service to deliver up to 4,000 health checks across the county.

In Herefordshire, a number of specific employment groups will be targeted:

• Rurally based workplaces: Overcoming barriers, particularly transport and cost related, for those having to travel to access health services.
• Agriculture and manufacturing workplaces: Herefordshire has higher employment in agricultural and manufacturing businesses than nationally.
• Workplaces in areas of higher deprivation plus low wage and routine manual worker roles: Targeting those whose health outcomes have typically been lower than people based in more affluent areas of the county.

Employers who fall into  these categories will be invited to take part by letter from Herefordshire Council/Talk Wellbeing. The health checks will be offered at selected business’ premises or an alternative location, whichever is most convenient for them and their staff.

 Dr Sarah Williams, lead clinician for the service, said:

“Cardiovascular disease is one of the main health conditions responsible for economic inactivity. Preventing heart attacks and stroke not only helps to keep staff in work but saves billions of pounds to our economy.

 “By offering employers these free Health Checks for their staff, we will be able to identify those who are at risk and help them to stop chronic diseases from progressing.”

Adults aged 40-74 who do not have any pre-existing health conditions are already invited by their GP Surgery to have an NHS Health Check every five years. These are aimed at spotting the early signs of conditions such as heart disease and stroke. However, many people do not take up this offer.

Cate Carmichael, Herefordshire’s Director of Public Health, said:

“These workplace checks are an opportunity to spot the signs of heart disease early and give people the right information to reduce their risk. Even better, it’s happening in workplaces and will help employers to support their workforce to stay well.”

The new programme is designed to diversify the way in which NHS health checks are delivered to reach more people and to make it more convenient for them to understand and improve their cardiovascular health. It is the first time ever that the government will bring together local authorities with employers to deliver NHS health checks into workplaces across the country.

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