CUMBERLAND Council has been awarded a share of £317k to provide free cardiovascular checks to employees in their workplace.
The government announced on Friday 30 August that the council has been successful in its bid with Westmorland and Furness Council to be part of the pilot project.
The council will now be working with its partner, Cumbria Health, to roll-out the checks to as many workplaces as possible.
Speaking on the announcement, Cllr Lisa Brown, Cumberland Council’s Deputy Leader and Adults and Community Health Portfolio Holder said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that we have been successful in our bid to be part of this pilot project. Improving health and wellbeing is at the heart of our ambitions at Cumberland Council. We also want to take a preventative approach to tackling any health issues faced by our residents.
“We hope to provide some 4,500 tests by the time the scheme closes at the end of March 2025. The checks can be carried out digitally or in person, and can help identify any underlying heart issues.
“We’ll be working with our partner Cumbria Health over the coming weeks to set up the scheme and start to roll it out to workplaces across Cumberland, and I’d encourage any employers who are interested in offering the checks to their staff to get in touch.”
Susan Blakemore, Chief Executive Officer of Cumbria Health, said: “Cumbria Health is excited to announce a joint venture with Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils to offer health checks, specifically aimed at men between 40-70 years of age in the workplace, across Cumbria. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death of men worldwide and early detection to identify early markers for preventable diseases will empower men to take action to improve their health independently.
“As a leader in Primary Care services across Cumbria we're aware of the importance of NHS Health Checks and recognise how beneficial it will be to increase uptake of these vital checks in our County. The health check will include a measurement of height, weight and waist, blood pressure test and a simple blood test (finger prick) to measure cholesterol and blood sugar levels.”
Enquiries about the scheme should be by email to healthchecks@cumbriahealth.nhs.uk