News – 17 February 2023
In January we ran our first health check ‘roadshows’. We hired some health equipment and took it out into the community giving customers and the public an opportunity to have their health checked. We went to a variety of places in our communities including leisure centres, sheltered schemes and children centres. The health checks included blood pressure, BMI and metabolic age tests to name a few.
The health checks were well received by everyone. Some people were pleasantly surprised by their results and others not so much, but it helped to start the conversation around health. We had some instances where people had extremely high blood pressure and the health check prompted them to book an appointment with their GP to do further tests. This is exactly why we’re doing these health checks so people can get help before it becomes a serious problem.
91% of people that attended the health checks said they would have a similar check again – which is fantastic. Customers were also asked what action (if any) they would take from the health checks and here are some of the responses
“Will contact GP and continue to try to lose weight.”
“Think more about what I eat and how often I exercise.”
“Cut down on sweet things and alcohol.”
We’re really pleased with the outcome of the first round of health checks. We will be running this again from 17 to 28 April across various locations in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. Please keep an eye out on Facebook to see if we’re coming to a town near you!
A big thank you to the leisure centres involved (Brackley and the Pemberton Centre) who supported the events and also massive thank you to the Public Health team at Milton Keynes City Council for their continued support!