Rural areas to benefit from free Health Checks this Autumn

Left to right: Rebecca Clarke, Seskinore Young Farmers Club, Gerard Treacy, DAERA, Vina Cochrane, Participant at Health Checks Service, Helen McAuley, Farm Families Health Checks Nurse, Siobhan O’Donnell, Senior Manager, Health Improvement, Equality and Involvement, WHSCT, Joshua Keys, Seskinore Young Farmers Club at the launch of Autumn health checks programme on Thursday 5 October 2023 at Seskinore Young Farmers Hall.

The Farm Families Health Checks Programme is a regional NI service supported and funded by DAERA and PHA and hosted by the Northern HSC Trust. They provide a means for farmers and their families to access health checks from a van in rural community settings.

This innovative project consists of a mobile unit which is available at local markets and community events across Northern Ireland, to offer on-the-spot health checks by trained nurses consisting of Blood Pressure monitoring, BMI, cholesterol check, diabetic screening and mental health screening. In addition, individual lifestyle advice will be given on a range of health issues, and onward referral completed to local support services as required.

These Health Check events are a great opportunity to have a check-up. People attending will receive a copy of their results and with their consent, this information will then be forwarded to their GP for inclusion in their medical records.

Siobhan O’Donnell, Western Trusts Health Improvement, Equality and Involvement Department: “We are delighted to have the Farm Families Health Checks mobile unit come along to a number of rural areas in the southern sector this autumn. This is a great example of a partnership approach with the Farm Families Health Checks service offering rural people free health checks alongside the Western Trusts, Community Health Improvement officer providing health promotion and wellbeing advice to local people at these events.”

Information on the areas hosting Autumn Health Checks programme and how to book in for an upcoming health check event will be posted on the Western Trust social media pages over the coming weeks. The next Health Checks and Health Information event will be held in Eskra on Monday 23 October from 3pm to 9pm, limited spots are available which will need to be booked in advance.

For further details regarding the Autumn Health Checks series and how to express an interest in hosting a Free Health Checks event during Winter 2023, please contact: [email protected].