Shropshire Council has provided free health checks to farmers through its community wellbeing outreach team at Shrewsbury Livestock Auction Centre and has said the scheme will now extend beyond the pilot period.
The councils’ mobile clinic will now visit the livestock market bi-weekly on the first and third Tuesday in the month from 9.00am until 2.00pm from Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
The mobile clinic, which has two rooms, will be at Shrewsbury Livestock Auction Centre on: March 21; April 4; April 18; May 2 and May 18 in the next few months.
Due to the success of the scheme, the council is also planning a similar service at other livestock markets in the county, including at Ludlow where, on Friday March 24, the community wellbeing outreach team will be promoting the health check prior to the launch on Friday, April 14.
Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for public health, adult social care and communities, said the response and feedback to the free health checks at Shrewsbury livestock market has been extremely positive and the farmers have been very welcoming towards the scheme.
“Over the last month we have had 63 visits from farmers who have come for free blood pressure tests. It’s also an opportunity to talk about anything they like, and this is just as important,” she said.
“If someone has high blood pressure, officers signpost them to their local pharmacist who will monitor them over a number of days. If their blood pressure is really high, they are advised to seek medical support as soon as possible through their GP.
“One farmer who was advised to seek medical support through their GP came back to the clinic having cut out salt and changed his diet completely, which resulted in a drop in his blood pressure.”
Motley said the council is trying to “get in early” so that farmers can take action themselves, maintain their health and prevent extra strain on the health service.
Partners from NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Diabetes Team and Severn Trent will also be attending some of the clinics to extend the advice and awareness services offered to farmers, Shropshire Council said.
An outreach worker from the diabetes team will join the mobile clinic on Tuesday, April 4, to raise awareness about the health condition and offer treatment advice.
