NHS to carry out health 'MoTs' in workplaces amid national drive to prevent heart attacks and strokes

According to a report from The Times, more than 130,000 middle aged workers will be offered the free mobile health check involving weighing staff members as well as measuring blood pressure and cholesterol to determine their risk of type 2 diabetes or heart disease. The 20-minute tests will be offered to workers over the age of 40, with male-dominated industries, including factories and construction sites, being particularly targeted due to men being at a higher risk of heart disease.

Those who are identified as being at risk will be offered treatment including blood pressure medication or statins to reduce cholesterol. They may also be referred to an NHS weight-loss clinic.

The scheme, which has been backed by £7m of government funding, has already been signed up to by Jaguar Land Rover. 4,500 staff, including those on the factory floor and in corporate offices, will undergo the check if they choose to at the car manufacturer’s Solihull base.

The new mobile health checks are part of the Labour government’s focus on prevention in healthcare. Andrew Gwynne, minister for public health and prevention, said: “We know so many deadly diseases can be avoided if we seek help in enough time. That’s why we’re working to improve access to treatment while also taking steps to address the preventable causes of cardiovascular disease. This innovative new programme is an important step towards community-focused healthcare and supporting economic productivity through improving health, shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, easing the strain on the NHS and helping people to live well for longer.”

Free health checks are already offered every five years to people aged between 40 and 74 via GP surgeries, but the offer is only taken up by around 40 per cent of people. Healthcare bosses hope that going into workplaces directly will help to make the check more accessible to people.

David Hargroves, the NHS national clinical director for stroke, said: “Convenient and efficient NHS checks in the workplace could spot thousands of people at risk of a range of cardiovascular diseases, and with high blood pressure the biggest risk factor for stroke, early detection will undoubtedly save lives. This new programme shows the NHS is committed to preventing ill health and I would urge anyone invited for a check to come forward and get support to improve their cardiovascular health.”

It comes after Keir Starmer said that Labour would look at extending the smoking ban to include more outdoor places, such as beer gardens and outside sport stadiums, after Whitehall papers were leaked. He said that the move could help to “relieve the burden” on the NHS.

He told Channel 4 News: “I want us to move to a smoke-free environment, want to reduce those preventable deaths. I want to reduce the burden on the NHS... and obviously I want to reduce the burden on the taxpayer.”