Helping you make healthier choices with health checks
Harry is a trader at a fruit stall on Walthamstow High Street. He recently visited a pop-up Health Check Kiosk at Walthamstow Library to get a free snapshot of his heart health.
The simple self-service kiosk gave Harry an overview of his heart health, key information about things like blood pressure and BMI, and recommendations for looking after his health. Knowing this information before having any symptoms means Harry can now make small lifestyle changes to prevent long-term diseases such as diabetes and decrease his chance of having a heart condition, heart attack or stroke in the future.
The health check is designed to help identify your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. It also provides information on the free services the Council provides to help lower your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke or developing diabetes.
I learnt my heart [age] was two years younger, which impressed me. Also that I’m maybe drinking a bit more than I should be, so I’ll start drinking soft drinks, or zeros [instead].
"It was useful. Definitely better to get it done than not.
Harry, Walthamstow Market trader
Workplace Health Check pilot
Since late last year, the Council has taken part in a Department of Health and Social Care-funded pilot, bringing NHS Health Checks into workplaces across the borough. The Health Check Kiosk is a part of this, helping nearby workers like Harry access a check, and just one of the ways the Council is supporting residents to live healthier lives.
Bringing the pilot into workplaces means more residents can access vital information about their health. Now, workers in a range of settings such as construction sites, care homes, transport stations, police stations and hospitals, have been able to access the check. Knowing this information is key to preventing long-term diseases from developing.
The impact so far
Since the pilot launched late last year, around 1200 checks have been delivered across Waltham Forest. Over 1120 of these were delivered in healthcare assistant-led clinics, while more have been taking place at the pop-up kiosk, like the one Harry visited at Walthamstow Library.
Everyone who has a health check, whether at a clinic or the kiosk, receives a patient booklet. The booklet provides a summary of their results, information on risk factors and details of local services that are there to support better health and improved wellbeing.