A new health hub in Barrow has been officially opened.
The hub, on the Waterfront Gateway Business Park, offers people check-ups in a bid to help improve the area’s general health and well-being. It was officially opened by Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness.
It is run by private firm Circular 1 Health, which is also offering a pilot programme for local businesses to look after the health of their workforces.
The pilot, which will be independently monitored, will seek to show that a proactive and interventionist approach will improve workforce health, productivity, and regional health overall. Circular 1 is inviting up to 20 businesses to participate.
The Barrow Health Hub is being launched in collaboration with an independent and well respected review body. This body will monitor and assess the economic and social impact of the programme for each business, and evidence a clear return on investment.
The programme will include a health questionnaire covering physical and mental health, followed by a consultation with a clinician. Circular1 Health said it would also offer a dedicated care management service that supports anyone requiring further investigation or treatment, as well as offering support on lifestyle improvements that can improve general health and wellbeing and prevent more serious issues later in life.
Mr Fell said: “From small acorns mighty oaks grow. And I very much hope we will see a flourishing, healthy tree as a result of this initiative. Preventative healthcare is essential. Rather than spending all of our time and our precious resources at points of crisis, the goal has to be to stop crises developing in the first place: spotting where small interventions now will limit the need for operations, or for a lifetime of medication. The Barrow Health Hub offers that promise and I look forward to watching it grow in the years to come.”
Stuart MacLennan, Circular 1 Health CEO, said: “We are delighted to launch the Barrow Health Hub. At Circular 1, we are committed to improving the health of the local region and today is a significant step towards that goal. Through our programme, local businesses will be able to experience the economic and social impact of a proactive approach to healthcare. We can’t wait for the results of the pilot.”
Find out what Mr MacLennan had to say earlier this year about how the pilot would work here.
