It may be the summer holidays but the digital health check units have been out and about. We were thrilled to be able to work with Anglian Care, eCare, International House, Freighter House depot and Digital Forum, enabling staff the opportunity to complete the 5 minute digital health check.
We thoroughly enjoyed having the machine available at our building, and it was very well received by our staff members.
We specifically appreciated the digital health checks being 5 minutes long as we found this extremely time efficient.
Our staff members found the checks to be extremely helpful as the machine being accessible and convenient which allowed our employees to gain a better understanding of their health and wellbeing (International House, Canvey Island)
If you would like to host one of our SiSU digital health checks, contact the team: essex.workingwell@nhs.net Today, as you can imagine, they are in demand!
The SiSU Mobile Digital Health Checks pilot programme was commissioned by Essex County Council Public Health in partnership with SiSU Health, Essex Wellbeing Service and delivered by Provide CIC.
The pilot launched in March 2025 in Basildon and Brentwood districts then expanded to all Essex County Council districts during the summer of 2025. The programme aimed to improve uptake of preventative health checks among working-age adults, particularly routine and manual workers, who face barriers to traditional NHS Health Checks. Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of preventable ill health and premature mortality. Uptake of NHS Health Checks is suboptimal, particularly among men and younger adults. The pilot tested a workplace-based digital model to improve accessibility, engagement, and early identification of risk.
Pilot Evaluation 2025/2026 – Key Metrics & Highlights
Total Health Checks Delivered 1,654
Individuals Engaged 1,420
Male Engagement 55%
Users Under 40 30%
Checks Outside GP Hours 23.3%
Overweight / Obese 69.9%
High Blood Pressure 19.3%
Highest Smoking Prevalence average 34%
Lifestyle Changes Reported 68%
Diet Improvement 54.5%
Increased Physical Activity 41%
Primary Care Follow-Up Prompted ~10%
Estimated Productivity Loss Prevented £2.1M annually
Read the Evaluation Pilot here
New for 2026
Employers hosting the unit can receive a range of follow on support for employees including:
- Stop Smoking Support and Drop in Clinics
- Men’s Health Talks
- Free Mental Health First Aid England training – Men and Mental Health
- Healthy eating and weight management support 1:1 or via the Amara Health App
Men and Mental Health
A new programme sitting alongside our digital health check offer – open to colleagues who work in non-office based roles, and often find it hard to access healthcare. Why not take advantage of the free 4-hour, online Mental Health First Aid England training.sign up here
Fast track Stop Smoking Support
Decided it’s time to quit smoking, our team will fast track you for telephone support, and what’s more, you’ll receive your NRT or vape delivered directly to your door within 24 hours, meaning you can start your smokefree journey immediately.
What is a health check?
Every 5 years from the age of 40, every adult in the UK is offered a free face to face health check from their GP. Only bout 1/2 of those contacted attend the check (38% men, 58% women). Some simply forget, some are too busy to take time off from work, others are worried about being “told off” about being overweight or smoking, so avoid the check.
Every day in the UK, people who do not attend their NHS Health Checks become unwell with heart attacks, strokes and other avoidable conditions. Adults, too young to qualify for an NHS Health Check also become unwell with preventable conditions.
To combat this, the SiSU Digital Health Check programme will:
- Identify and support those who would not normally access Health Improvement services to improve their health.
- Provide services for early intervention and prevention to reach a larger section of the population.
- Help people to live healthy lifestyles by reducing prevalence of the leading risk factors that contribute to ill health and premature mortality, including high systolic blood pressure, high body mass index, and smoking.
- Give employers the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of their employees.
- Provide direct referral and support from Essex Wellbeing Service
Following the digital health check, users receive their results straight away and those identified as high risk can access services from Essex Working Well, Essex Wellbeing Service, their local GP, or community pharmacy.
All users receive personal health results and feedback while completing their check and have access to a free App containing their results.
Key Outcomes so far:
- 5,500+ + health checks completed across 70+ businesses
- 90% of users gave the service 7 or more out of 10
- 200 referrals for Stop Smoking Support
- 750+ referrals for My Weight Matters
- 950 participants opted to share their health data with Essex Working Well for ongoing support
- Detailed anonymous employer report and analysis, including the loss in productivity due to: High BP, overweight and obesity and smoking prevalence.
Check out our LinkedIn page where we share news of all customer installations and more.
Cost to productivity of increased health risk factors (March 25 – May 26)
Want to host the SiSU unit in your workplace?
We have three units, a Maxi and 2 Mini (portable), here’s the booking criteria:
Maxi unit placement requirements:
- Business size: at least 150 employees
- Height requirements: Unit is 2.4m in height, so requires a ceiling height of 2.5m
- Positioning requirements: the Maxi can only be installed on the ground floor or a business, unless there is a suitable lift
- Good phone signal or secure WiFi network connectivity
- Installation duration: 2-4 weeks (dependent on employee numbers)
- Delivery information: Friday delivery via a SiSU technician with Working Well staff member attending to support the business
Mini Unit placement requirements:
- Business size: At least 40 employees or more on a single site or training day, with at least 40 staff attending
- Positioning requirements: Unit can be placed in any indoor space and requires a table, chair plus mobile phone signal and power socket
- Good mobile phone signal connectivity
- Installation duration: 1 day – 2 weeks (dependent on employee numbers)
- Delivery Information: Flexible delivery days – Working Well staff member installs the units and provides support for 1-2 hours on the install day. (Wellbeing events – staff member stays to support for the full day).
What tests does the unit complete?
- BMI – Body Mass Index
- Blood pressure
- Heart Rate
- Smoking rate
- Body Composition
- Stroke Risk Test (QRISK 3) (over 25 yrs)
- Stress Screening Test (PSS4)
Employee support available
- Results emailed instantly via the SiSU Health App
- Blood pressure protocol in place
- Personal results are not shared with workplace
- Support via Essex Working Well for Stop Smoking Support
- Weight loss support via the Amara App and My Weight Matters (Essex Wellbeing Service)
- Mental Health signposting available
If you would like to discuss hosting the SiSU unit in your workplace email us today – essex.workingwell@nhs.net
Published: 27 June 2025
