Derbyshire selected to take part in multi-million-pound workplace health pilot

Derbyshire County Council is one of 48 authorities sharing in £6.6 million of funding to run free health checks in workplaces.

These lifesaving checks help improve the health and wellbeing of employees, prevent serious health conditions from developing as well as help people stay in employment for longer.

The county council has been successful in bidding for £36,000 of funding which will be used to run free NHS Health Checks and Live Life Better Derbyshire MOT Plus in workplaces across the county.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Carol Hart said: “By identifying risk factors such as high blood pressure early, we can help people to get the support and treatment they need to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease and avoid heart attacks and strokes.

“In turn this helps people to live well for longer as well as helping to boost our local economy.”

Every year, over 1.3 million people in England take part in an NHS Health Check and this helps prevents an estimated 300 premature deaths.

Evidence shows that the age of people having cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as strokes and heart attacks is getting younger, meaning more working age people are now being affected.

Evidence also shows that some groups such as men are less likely to get early help, and by targeting workplaces the council aims to engage these groups more effectively.

Around one in three people who have a heart attack and one in four strokes are in people of working age, with a third of stroke survivors not returning to work afterwards.

Derbyshire County Council’s Healthy Workplaces team will be delivering free NHS Health Checks and Live Life Better Derbyshire Body MOT Plus to workplaces across Derbyshire until March 2025.

A health check lasts up to 45 minutes and is carried out by a trained health advisor.

During the check the advisor will measure cholesterol and glucose levels from a fingertip blood test. They will take blood pressure, height, and weight as well as ask some lifestyle questions.

The advisor will talk about your current health and discuss any early signs of heart disease and other health conditions like stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia.

If you are a Derbyshire business owner and would like to arrange free health checks for your staff then visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/healthchecks to find out more.