Herefordshire Council was successful in bidding for this programme and will be working with Taurus Healthcare’s Talk Wellbeing service to deliver more than 4,000 health checks across the county.

In Herefordshire, particular emphasis will be on the following employment groups:

Rurally based workplaces

Overcoming barriers, particularly transport and cost related, for those having to travel to access health services.

Agriculture and manufacturing workplaces

Herefordshire has higher employment in agricultural and manufacturing businesses than nationally.

Workplaces in areas of higher deprivation plus low wage and routine manual worker roles

Targeting those whose health outcomes have typically been lower than people based in more affluent areas of the county.

Employers who fall into any of these categories will receive a letter from Herefordshire Council / Talk Wellbeing inviting them to take part in the programme. Health checks will be offered at business premises or an alternative location, whichever is most convenient for the employer and their staff.

Dr. Sarah Williams, lead clinician for the service, said: “Cardiovascular disease is one of the main health conditions responsible for economic inactivity. Preventing heart attacks and stroke not only helps to keep staff in work but saves billions of pounds to our economy.

“By offering employers these free health checks for their staff, we will be able to identify those who are at risk and help them to stop chronic diseases from progressing.”

Adults aged 40-74 who do not have any pre-existing health conditions are already invited by their GP Surgery to have an NHS Health Check every five years. These are aimed at spotting the early signs of conditions such as heart disease and stroke. However, many people do not take up this offer.

Cate Carmichael, Herefordshire’s Director of Public Health, said, “These workplace checks are an opportunity to spot the signs of heart disease early and give people the right information to reduce their risk. Even better, it’s happening in workplaces and will help employers to support their workforce to stay well.”

The new programme is designed to diversify the way in which NHS health checks are delivered to reach more people and to make it more convenient for them to understand and improve their cardiovascular health. It is the first time ever that the government will bring together local authorities with employers to deliver NHS health checks into workplaces across the country.

Taurus Healthcare’s Talk Wellbeing service will be directly contacting businesses by letter over the coming months, inviting employers to take up the offer of these free health checks for their staff.

For more information, please Taurus Healthcare’s Talk Wellbeing service.