Life-saving health checks at work trial to come to Kent

The move comes after Kent County Council (KCC) successfully applied for a £195,000 government grant to locally roll out a national scheme that will take CVD checks direct to employees most at risk.

CVD, the general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, is the leading cause of death and disability in England – but 80% is preventable.

Now the £7million Workplace Cardiovascular Disease Health Check Pilot will take place in 48 local authority areas across England, including Kent, between September (2024) and March (2025).

Businesses large and small across a range of industries including building, transport, hospitality and social care sectors, will be involved.

Overall, it is hoped the initiative will enable more than 130,000 people aged 40 to 74, including 3,800 in Kent, to get easy, convenient checks, for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and some cases of dementia.

Individuals taking part will have their blood pressure checked, undergo a simple blood test for cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and have their height, weight, and waist measured.

If needed, participants will be helped to get treatment or take preventative action to reduce the risk of ill health in the future. Smoking, diet, fitness and how much alcohol you drink can all affect the chances of getting serious diseases like CVD.

The pilot follows findings that people having CVD events are getting younger. Around 1 in 3 people who have a heart attack, and 1 in 4 strokes, are in people of working age, with a third of stroke survivors not returning to work afterwards.

And while over 16 million people are eligible for a NHS Health Check every five years, latest data shows only 40% of those offered a check had one – though checks prevent premature deaths through early diagnosis.

KCC Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said: “When it comes to our health, prevention is always better than cure so we’re very excited about this pilot scheme coming to Kent and working further with local businesses to reach people eligible for a NHS Health Check – but less likely to take it up.

"This is especially true for men, who are less likely to get early help but who are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease at an earlier age than women.

“CVD accounted for almost 1 in 4 deaths in England across all ages in 2022 and each year in Kent it claims around 1000 lives of people under the age of 75 – yet 4 out of 5 cases are preventable.

“By identifying factors like high blood pressure that increase the risk of cardiovascular problems we will help our residents live well for longer, reduce the need for sick days and ease the strain on our NHS.”

Read the Government’s announcement.