Good health in the workplace starts with empowering your people with the knowledge they need to understand and take control of their own health risks. Health screenings allow employees to understand more about their personal health, identify potential risks, treat early symptoms and take action before concerns become more difficult to manage. For employers, they can provide valuable insight into how they can best support the needs of their workforce, shaping a proactive and holistic approach to employee health and wellbeing.
With different types of health screenings, checks and occupational health services, it’s easy for employers and employees to become overwhelmed in understanding which services are needed and how to arrange one for yourself or a team member.
What is a health screening?
A health screening is a single or series of medical tests that are used to identify potential health and wellbeing risks, conditions or disorders. Screenings are an important part of preventative health, helping you to identify risks early, often before they cause noticeable symptoms. With this early intervention, people are able to understand their own health and bodies and receive treatments early.
Common screenings that you might benefit from include:
- Bood tests
- General vital screenings (blood pressure, height, weight)
- Cancer screenings
- Diabetes screening
- Cholesterol tests
Why are health screenings important?
There are lots of health risks and conditions that aren’t immediately obvious, displaying minor or no early symptoms. This is why people can often be unaware of how important health screenings can be for in the long-term. They can play a vital role in spotting potential concerns earlier, educating on lifestyle changes and getting access to treatment quickly.
Reasons why businesses should consider routine health screenings include:
- Early detection: Health screenings play an important role in early detection and identifying risks of different health concerns. For example, between 2019 and 2023, almost 900,000 cancer diagnoses were found by national screening programmes in England.
- Early intervention: Similar to early detection, it is equally important that health screenings promote early intervention. For example, early medical intervention with insulin treatments has reduced the risk of diabetes related heart attacks by 17%.
- Health autonomy: Booking health screenings either independently or through employee health benefits empowers you to take control of your own health and understanding of your own wellbeing.
- Increased survival rates: There are many serious conditions that can be monitored and identified by routine health screenings. When these conditions are detected early, survival rates for many conditions have been shown to significantly improve. For example, in England, 63% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the earliest stages survive for 5+ years, compared to 4% of patients diagnosed in its most advanced stages.
What health screenings are available to employees?
The health screenings available to employees depend on your health benefits coverage and provider. At Westfield Health, we offer a comprehensive range of employee health screenings as part of our business wellbeing solutions. There are three programmes available to businesses, which include*:
- Blood pressure
- Total cholesterol
- Blood glucose
- Height, weight and BMI
- Body fat percentage
- Visceral fat
- Resting heart rate
- Muscle percentage
- Metabolic rate
- Exercise behaviour
Our employee health screenings take place in your office, to make prioritising employee wellness easy and stress-free. Each participating employee will receive an anonymous and confidential report on their personal results, as well as a GP referral note where needed.
*Screening services available are dependent on the selected programme option. Explore our three screening programmes here.
Health checks for men’s health
Men’s health encompasses a range of physical and mental considerations, from cardiovascular health and lifestyle choices and age-related health risks, to mental health concerns. Health checks for men include:
- Prostate blood test (PSA)
- Cardiac risk evaluation
- Testosterone health checks
Health checks for women’s health
There are similar health screenings and checks that are often recommended for women’s health. Women’s health can change with age and throughout different stages of life, making health screenings and routine check-ups crucial to care for long-term health. A thoughtful approach to screening can help women understand their health and access appropriate support when they need it. Some examples of health checks for women include:
- Cervical screenings
- Hormonal evaluations
- Breast screening
Are employee health screenings suitable for everyone?
The suitability of employee health screenings is dependent on lots of factors. As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to screenings in any workplace. The appropriate checks will depend on individual circumstances, the types of health screenings offered by employers, and the specific needs of their workforce.
This individuality of employee needs is why we offer three different programmes that are designed to suit the needs and size of your team, including:
What happens if a health screening identifies a possible concern?
With Westfield Health, employees will receive a personal report of your results on the same day. Every individual will be given a chance to discuss their results with their coach and receive advice on their personal circumstances and a GP referral letter if further tests or concerns need to be raised.
Employers will also receive an anonymous high-level company report. With this, you will have the tools to conduct your own health and wellbeing audit, creating a people strategy that is unique to your organisation.
For health screenings outside your workplace, there are several ways that you might receive your results and what actions will be taken as a result, based on what screenings you take part in. These types of tests can include:
- NHS health check
- Routine blood tests
- Breast health screenings
- Basic health screenings
- Cholesterol screenings
- Prostate & cervical screening
How to get employee health screenings?
Westfield Health offers employee health screenings that can be arranged for your team in your workspace. This in-office approach helps to remove obstacles and make healthcare part of your team’s working day.
To arrange your own employee health screening, get in touch with our team to hear more, or arrange a call back.
How to build health screenings into a wider preventative health strategy
Health screenings can become an important part of a wider preventative health strategy at work. These health assessments provide an opportunity to help employers understand the needs of their workforce and help employees feel empowered by insights into their own health.
A workplace health screening can be treated either as a one-off event or an annual review to gather valuable insights into the health and wellbeing of your team. The results can lead to action that builds a stronger foundation for wellbeing initiatives going forward.
If you are building a preventative health strategy for your team, a step-by-step approach could include:
1) Understanding your team’s needs
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to health. This is why every health, or wellbeing strategy must be tailored to the individual team that you are working with. It’s important to consider the different needs of the individuals in your team to understand where you can have the most positive impact as an employer. This is where booking a health screening can add the most value to your preventative health strategy.
2) Choose a health screening programmme
The individual approach continues into choosing the programme for your employees. Consider your existing understanding of health, wellbeing, and the workplace culture of your team and what further details you would like to know. This can help you choose one of three health screening programmes that Westfield Health offers to businesses.
3) Make screening assessments accessible
Consider when and where your screening will take place for your team. Making screening easy to participate in can make a big difference in employee engagement.
4) Turn meaningful results into practical support
Health screening should give your people a clear understanding of their results, and where appropriate, empower and encourage your team to seek further medical advice and guidance on their concerns. This may mean encouraging employees to use further health benefits, use flexible work to engage in more exercise, or share further information on how they can best care for their health at work.
5) Analyse anonymous results to identify wider priorities
All Westfield Health screenings provide anonymised reports on the health and wellbeing of your team. Where appropriate, using these insights can help to understand the common health themes across the team. This information can inform decisions about future wellbeing and health initiatives as part of your strategy without compromising confidentiality.
6) Review and adapt your approach
Health and wellbeing is a constantly evolving factor in your employees’ day-to-day experience, and preventative health should be treated as an ongoing process. Encourage employees to share their feedback and start an open dialogue about how preventative health is prioritised in the workplace.