Employee health MOTs are so vital

Local pharmacies are saving lives and cutting hours lost through sickness by going into workplaces and giving employees health MOTs.

Rowlands Pharmacy is expanding its healthy living programme of Health and Wellbeing events at work in Greater Manchester, day and night, to suit all workers and shift patterns.

A staggering 137 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury in the UK in 2016, according to the Office of National Statistics.

Rowlands helps companies cut those costs and alerts people to serious medical conditions like high blood pressure which can trigger heart attacks.

Project developer Paul Hillan is leading the Health and Wellbeing programme, and has helped thousands of employees avert medical emergencies.

He said: “Many people do not have any symptoms or do not recognise them and are blissfully unaware of what may be a ticking timebomb.

“High blood pressure is a silent killer. One guy thought he was fine but his reading was dangerously high. We advised him to go straight to his GP, who diagnosed hypertension and he was off for seven weeks.”

Oldham pharmacist Yit San Chow added: “He didn’t have a clue anything was wrong.

"He was in the warehouse doing strenuous work moving furniture.

"Our blood pressure check and swift action saved him from having a heart attack and probably saved his life.”

Yit, who is pharmacist manager at Lees Medical Practice in Athens Way, said: “Now he is well aware of the dangers and has regular health checks, which are important no wonder how fit you feel.”

Rowlands’ head office is based in Runcorn, Cheshire, and it has over 500 pharmacies across the UK, 130 of them Elite outlets with extended specialist services.

It was founded over 200 years ago.

Clients include Pets at Home, based in Epsom Avenue, Handforth, retail giants Next, Jack Wills and ASOS, Liverpool Football Club, universities, police forces and local councils.

What sets Rowlands apart, says Paul, is its bespoke service tailored to clients.

Paul and his colleagues stage their events and flu clinics at workers’ premises, including football stadiums, distribution centres, warehouses, offices and call centres.

“We go pretty much anywhere,” said Paul.

For more information, log on to: http://www.rowlandspharmacy.co.uk/wellbeingthroughwork/