New health station offers opportunity to find out more about your health – while you shop

A new digital health station has been installed in a Lynn supermarket – giving customers the opportunity to check aspects of their health.The new station is one of two implemented by Norfolk County Council through SiSU Health. It has been installed in the Tesco Extra at the Hardwick Industrial Estate and will be in place for one year.At the touch of a button, users can get a blood pressure reading, heart rate, height, weight, and BMI check, as well as assessments on physical activity, wellbeing, smoking and alcohol levels.

After receiving an instant set of results, the user is provided with next steps and recommendations for their health, signposting to local support and further information.Councillor Fran Whymark, county council cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: “It’s fantastic to see that we are making the health stations easily accessible, helping people to improve their health and wellbeing.“SiSU health stations are already becoming more widely used by local authorities and the NHS, including in neighbouring Suffolk, and we believe they can make a real difference here in Norfolk too. “Taking just five minutes to complete a free mini health review could help you identify a potential health issue.“If you do identify any issues, help is at hand through your local GP and NHS, who will support you on your journey back to good health.” Stuart Lines, director of public health for Norfolk, added: “These new SiSU health stations are a welcome addition to our public health offering in Norfolk.“We want to ensure that the health of our residents is the best it can be, and early engagement and intervention methods are crucial to this.“Health stations provide a simple, free, accessible way to stay up to date on your health and wellbeing by identifying areas which need to be monitored or improved. “Research has already shown that health stations have successfully engaged people from areas of deprivation.“Many people who have already used health stations have then gone on to visit their GPs and subsequently made improvements to their health, for example lowering their blood pressure.”Dr Titi Oladosu, GP and clinical and care professional lead specialist advisor at Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, said: “The SiSU stations are a great way to sneak in a mini-MOT while we shop.“They measure vital health information, like our blood pressure, and give us instant feedback and tips on where to find local support. “As a doctor, I appreciate how these stations allow us to take charge of our health. I encourage everyone to take just five minutes for a quick health check-up before returning to their shopping.”Jez Styles, director of growth, SiSU Health, added: “We are delighted to be expanding our network into Norfolk.“The self-service nature of the health stations coupled with the convenience of a location where people already live their lives allows us to target populations that might normally have limited access to traditional health services.“Our customers report that they are motivated to make lifestyle changes after completing a health check with demonstrable improvements across a range of health metrics over time.”