Vital health checks underway at local businesses after Wigan Council's successful funding bid

Vital health checks underway at local businesses after Wigan Council's successful funding bid

Health First carrying out health checks at Heinz factory in Wigan

Vital NHS heart health checks are getting underway in workplaces across Wigan Borough giving people under 40 access to potentially lifesaving checks for the first time ever.

The health checks see employers offering comprehensive heart health checks that can detect people at higher risk of a range of diseases and help them to access effective treatment or take preventative action. The checks are taking place after Wigan Council’s Public Health team successfully bid for Government funding.

The current NHS Health Check programme engages with over 1.3 million people in England, preventing an estimated 300 premature deaths. In many cases, it can help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, as well as some cases of dementia among adults aged 40-74.

Councillor Danny Fletcher, lead member for Leisure and Public Health at Wigan Council, said: “While eligible people in Wigan Borough are invited to have a check once every five years, many are not completing these checks. We know that men in particular are less likely to get early help and are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease at an earlier age.

“There can be many reasons these health checks are missed, often it can be as simple as day to day life getting in the way. Our successful bid for a share of Government funding helps us to remove those barriers by bringing life-saving health checks into the workplace.

“These checks will help to prevent a range of life changing and potentially fatal diseases, from stroke and diabetes to heart disease and in some cases, dementia.”

Employers from a range of industries will take part in the programme including hospitality, transport and the social care sector. Every check will be the equivalent of an NHS appointment, saving thousands of hours of valuable NHS time and helping to cut waiting lists.

Wigan's Public Health team has partnered Health First which is currently delivering the checks at the Heinz factory in Wigan.

A spokesperson for Health First said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Wigan Council and many other lifestyle services to deliver workplace NHS Health Checks. The pilot will enable us to expand the reach of our workplace health checks in some of the most deprived areas within the borough.

“It is also a great opportunity to offer NHS health Checks to the workplace where many staff members who work are unable to attend appointments due to their working patterns.

“By delivering the NHS health checks and implementing early intervention, long term sickness is avoidable within the workplace to ensure a healthy happy workplace.”

Eligible businesses will be contacted directly and invited to participate. 

Anyone aged 40-74 with no known health conditions can have an NHS Health Check by booking an appointment through their GP.