25/02/2010
- Free cardio checks for employees provided by BMI Healthcare
- Thousands of employees to benefit from £2m screening project
- Brian Souter pledges £1m personal contribution towards initiative
- Staff in Scotland to take part in first stage of programme
Transport group Stagecoach has joined forces with the UK's largest independent hospital provider BMI Healthcare to launch a voluntary heart health screening programme for employees in its UK Bus division.
A state-of-the-art 'Healthy Heart Bus' – the first of its kind in the UK - will tour Stagecoach's bus depots, providing free heart health check-ups for thousands of staff.
The double-decker vehicle has been specially designed in partnership with BMI Healthcare and was refurbished by Plaxton Limited as a mobile cardio-screening unit equipped with patient consultation facilities and the latest exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) equipment.
The £2m initiative is being funded by Stagecoach Group, with support from Chief Executive Brian Souter who has personally pledged £1million towards the project.
Employees in the North-east of Scotland are the first to be invited to take part in the programme, which gets underway this month and is designed to encourage heart health awareness among employees.
Over the next three to four years, all Stagecoach UK Bus employees with more than three years' service will be given the opportunity to undergo a voluntary assessment of their cardiovascular health, as well as receiving advice on ways to maintain and improve their heart health.
Heart and circulatory disease is the UK's biggest killer, with someone dying of a heart attack every six minutes. However, early detection and treatment increases a person's chance of avoiding more serious complications.
The Stagecoach initiative will allow staff to find out their level of cardiovascular health and potential risk areas, receive individual advice on ways to improve their heart health and access further medical tests through their GP if required.
Fully qualified BMI Healthcare doctors and nurses will run the service, carrying out assessments at Stagecoach depots around the country. Employees' health information will be kept completely confidential.
Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter said: "This kind of personal health check is often only available to senior executives. We felt it was important to extend the service to our frontline employees who serve our customers every day and the Healthy Heart Bus will allow us to do that.
"We are delighted to be launching this ambitious employee benefit which is targeted at preventative healthcare as early intervention can save lives."
There are two stages to the project:
- Stage 1 - Employees will be invited for an appointment at their local depot where a healthcare professional will provide basic health screening and blood testing, and determine the employee's risk factors. The test results and factors will then be used to make an assessment of the employee's heart health. Based on the results, some employees will be invited to take part in the second stage of the process.
- Stage 2 - Employees will be invited to an appointment on the 'Healthy Heart Bus' where they may be asked to take part in an Exercise Tolerance Test, using an exercise bike, to explore their heart health in greater detail. They will then either be provided with information on ways to reduce their risk factors or they will be advised to seek further advice and/or treatment from their local GP.
BMI Healthcare CEO Adrian Fawcett said: "We believe delivering top-quality healthcare is not just about providing the best treatments but also about providing effective prevention strategies. It is important to give people the information and advice they need to identify health risks before they become too serious. We are pleased Stagecoach shares our passion for preventative healthcare, and we look forward to working with them on this unique and exciting venture."
The state-of-the-art bus contains an "eBike" and software provided by GE Healthcare. GE Healthcare's CardioSoft™ software controls the speed and resistance for the eBike, monitors the subject's vital signs and sends the ECG data securely and wirelessly to GE Healthcare's MUSE® ECG database system where Dr Barry Vallance, Healthy Heart Bus Clinical Lead and Consultant Cardiologist for the NHS and at BMI Ross Hall Hospital, will analyse the results and advise on any required course of action.
Dr Vallance said, "Each day I treat people whose conditions could have been slowed or prevented through earlier detection and treatment or lifestyle changes. Taking the initiative to seek health advice when you're feeling seemingly well is easy to deprioritise, especially when you're busy at work, but this carries risks. The beauty of this project is that it brings nurses and doctors to the employees, making it much easier to access the tests, advice and guidance that can improve their chances of a healthier, longer life. It's a brilliant undertaking, and I am very proud to help lead the effort."
Graham Stevenson, National Organiser Transport for trade union Unite, said that they were pleased to support the free medical screening project that should benefit its members.
"We are especially pleased that our members will have this opportunity to have an assessment of their heart health, which will enable potential risks or problems to be identified and addressed via their GP," he said.
"Participation will be voluntary and all results of the screening will be confidential, even to the employer. It is rare to see such a service being offered by a major employer to its employees. Unite has no hesitation in applauding Stagecoach's initiative and we would encourage all of our members to take up this chance."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs more than 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
BMI Healthcare
BMI Healthcare (www.bmihealthcare.co.uk) is the country's largest independent healthcare provider with more than 60 hospitals and clinics throughout UK. We focus on clinical excellence, quality of service and efficiency, and have a deserved reputation in the independent health care sector for consistent achievement of these values.
GE and GE Monogram, MUSE and CardioSoft are trademarks of General Electric Company.
For further information contact:
Lindsay Reid
Corporate Communications Manager
Stagecoach Group
10 Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 5TW
Phone: 01738 442111
Fax: 01738 443076
Mobile: 07500 446896
email: lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
BMI Healthcare Press Contact:
Linda Apeles02070094544 office
07912396177 mobile
Linda.Apeles@ghg.co.uk
www.bmihealthcare.co.uk
