A healthier you
Colleagues, who are over 40-years-old, may be eligible for a free health check with the NHS. The service is a way of checking your wellbeing, as well as assessing your risk of developing certain health problems.
As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing a number of health conditions. An NHS health check may help to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia.
Your health check will take around 20 to 30 minutes. The health professional, often a nurse or healthcare assistant, will ask you some questions about your lifestyle and family history, measure your height and weight, take your blood pressure and do a blood test. The blood test will be done either before the check with a blood sample from your arm, or at the check.
Health checks will usually be at a GP surgery or local pharmacy, but they can also take place at your local library or leisure centre or offered from a mobile unit. Some pharmacies also offer free health checks, so it is worth asking a local pharmacist or checking online if they can help.
Once you've had your health check, your healthcare professional will discuss your results with you. You'll be given personalised advice to help you lower your risk and maintain or improve your health. This could include talking about:
- how to improve your diet and the amount of physical activity you do
- taking medicines to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol
- how to lose weight or stop smoking
You do not have to wait until then to make healthy changes. Take the How Are You quiz, try this online heart age test or start now with these health apps and trackers.
Further support
The Feeling First Class portal has helpful support content for your mental and physical health. Visit www.feelingfirstclass.co.uk (code FFC1 to register) and download the app from iTunes or the Google Play store.
The First Class Support helpline is completely confidential and independent. Call now on 0345 266 5060 if you would like to talk to someone about any physical or mental health-related matter, for lifestyle advice, or for direct access to counselling treatments.
You can also visit www.rmgfirstclasssupport.co.uk or download the ‘Lifeworks’ app. New users of the site are required to ‘sign up’ using a unique invitation code, which will be their payroll number and the RMG- prefix, for example RMG-12345678.
