Over 5,000 crucial health checks complete as Council signposts where to get help
- 5,203 free health checks completed as part of Council-led project
- Council signposting other residents to where to now get health and blood pressure checks
Over 5,000 Reading residents took advantage of free health checks in Broad Street Mall and other community settings, thanks to a Council-led Community Wellness Outreach project which flagged issues many may have been unaware of.
With the project now concluded, the Council is keen to build on the interest amongst residents and signpost others to how to get a similar check-up.
Residents can access advice or obtain future check-ups by:
- NHS Health Checks – a free health check for people aged 40 to 74 who do not have a range of pre-existing conditions including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Blood pressure checks at your pharmacy or GP, or via a home use blood pressure monitor.
- Wellbeing support and advice on the Reading Services Guide
The project, which welcomed 5,203 visitors via walk-in and booked appointments in various community locations and Broad Street Mall, demonstrated the value of taking health and wellbeing support directly into the community and removing perceived barriers to getting help and reassurance.
Funded by the Integrated Care Board, the programme was delivered jointly by the Meet PEET service of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Reading Voluntary Action to provide a holistic health check and wellbeing support through outreach into the community.
Residents were alerted to a variety of health issues at the Council’s Community Wellness Outreach project which included high blood pressure, high BMI (body mass index), high blood glucose and high cholesterol – all issues that can cause problems if left untreated but which can be alleviated once identified.
The health checks also allowed a range of other additional wellbeing support to be offered, including signposting visitors on to GPs and health behaviour change support to ensure the checks led to ongoing benefits, including a successful “Give It A Go” programme to support and encourage participants to try different types of exercise.
Rachel Eden, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said:
“I’m really pleased that this project has managed to help over 5,000 people access vital information on their health, which many would have been unaware of, and to help them take action or make necessary changes.
“It is fantastic that so many people came forward along with the support from our community partners who enabled this programme to be a success.
“The idea of the project was to find a model by which to directly deliver important NHS Health Checks into our community and reach residents who may not have had easy access to checks otherwise.
“It is important to ensure residents take steps to look after themselves and get the reassurance or advice they need. The best way to do this is via an NHS Health Check and blood pressure checks, so please do take the time to get yourself checked. It can provide great peace of mind and may alert you to something underlying that you can take immediate action on”.