Health check machine aims to flag concerns earlier

A new health check station aims to detect signs of medical issues before they develop into longstanding and more serious problems later in life, the Isle of Man's public health director has said.

The machine, at the Northern Swimming Pool in Ramsey, checks a number of key health indicators including blood pressure, heart rate, height and weight.

The 12-month pilot, using equipment from SISU Health, has been funded by Public Health.

Director Matt Tyrer said the scheme aimed to bring the same checks people would typically have at their GP surgery to an alternative location.

He said it was about "day to day health and wellbeing" and making it "quick, easy, where people are, and gives them control".

The health check station is located in the Northern Swimming Pool's foyer, an area Tyrer said had a large footfall of people of all ages each day.

Its location is also said to be "discrete", to ensure patient privacy.

The entire check, from physical health to stress levels, takes about four or five minutes, and is free for anyone over the age of 16 to use.

Tyrer said there was a big focus on prevention strategies, and the scheme tied in with other efforts in the north of the island to detect problems earlier, such as the recently introduced "Fit Checks" at Ramsey Group Practice.

He said: "If people have got high blood pressure over a long period of their life, that can increase their risk of other things.

"Detecting it early and being able to put a preventative approach in place means they're less likely to need more complicated healthcare interventions later.

"They might not need appointments with cardiologists or other things in the hospital."

Tyrer said: "Every pound that's invested in prevention is a cost saving overall to the system."

By enabling people to be able to monitor their blood pressure for example, it "reduces the likelihood that later in life they might have a heart problem, they might have something like a stroke".

He added: "Funding these things is really sensible because ultimately, if we're thinking fiscally, it saves the system money.

"More importantly, it gives people longer, healthier lives."

He said similar stations had been used across the UK, particularly in Cheshire and Merseyside, where there were "really good examples of this type of kiosk being used".

Tyrer said: "We've got so much time in our lives when we could make a difference and have the healthiest life for as long as possible."

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