Construction has been identified as a priority sector for workplace cardiovascular health checks after a national pilot found the approach was feasible and valued by participating workers.
More than 2,000 checks were carried out in construction workplaces as part of a Department of Health and Social Care pilot covering 21 sectors in 2024/25.
A report by a policy research unit at the London School of Hygiene, published this month, said the programme had shown “strong potential” to identify cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in the workforce.
Focus on higher-risk workforces
The researchers said construction was among the sectors with a high proportion of semi-skilled and unskilled workers, who are more likely to be at risk of developing heart and circulatory conditions.
The report said future delivery should focus on sectors and industries with higher CVD risk, including construction, agriculture and energy, transport and storage, commerce, and hospitality. It said this would help address inequalities in access to health checks.
Across more than 88,000 checks completed before June 2025, six in 10 participants were overweight, while 15% had high blood pressure and almost one in 10 were smokers.
One in five assessments led to a GP referral. The study also found that 7% of participants had an “elevated” 10-year CVD risk.
“The findings highlight the potential of workplace checks to detect early CVD risk, including among younger workers who would not yet be eligible for the standard NHS health check,” the report said.
The researchers said the findings supported delivering checks in workplaces, where they could reach people who might otherwise have limited access to preventative health services.