Virtual Health Assessment Tier 1 – Rail Infrastructure Electrification

Please read and understand all the information below then make your booking using the button at the bottom of the page.

This page contains all the information about your virtual health assessment, what to expect, what preparation is required before your appointment with your Healthcare Practitioner and the checks which will be undertaken. This same information will be sent to you by email following your booking. There are two tiers for the virtual health assessments, tier 1 is open to all employees and if required, you will be invited to take part in tier 2 virtual health assessment depending on your results from tier 1 and this will be discussed with you at the close of your tier 1 appointment. If you wish to participate in the tier 1 virtual health assessment we ask you to commit to undertaking all the preparation checks listed on this page, which you will be required to have completed before your appointment with your Healthcare Practitioner.

Please complete the tests adding the data/results to the My Results Form, this form will be sent to you by email. 

It is important to keep track of your health and wellbeing. There are many checks you can do from the comfort of your own home. By undertaking these checks and following up your results with your Healthcare Practitioner, we will be able to provide you with practical solutions and advice to assist further in your health and wellbeing, and provide guidance if you need to seek medical advice, for which you will have some useful and informative information at hand.

For tier 1, the following health checks are undertaken.

Once you have completed tier 1, depending on your results, you may be invited for tier 2 virtual health assessment which is summarised at the end of this page.

This is through a simple online booking system. You are required to make your booking, including your address details and complete the pre-assessment questionnaire at the same time as making your booking.

Once your booking has been completed you will be contacted by The Healthy Employee and sent a Teams meeting for your appointment, My Results form, plus a tape measure will be posted to you.

There will be a number of checks you will be required to undertake PRIOR to your appointment with your Healthcare Practitioner and you must have the results (data) to hand at your virtual appointment. These are all explained on this page.

Booking the virtual health check, completing your details and the pre-assessment questionnaire takes around 5 minutes. Once completed, you will receive SMS/email confirmation, calendar invite and reminder.

Once you have booked, it’s time to undertake your self checks before your appointment.  Set aside some time to complete these checks, we suggest you will require approximately 30 minutes.

This page explains all the checks please read it thoroughly.

30 minute health assessment

For ease, we have detailed these checks in 3 parts and they should all be completed before your appointment otherwise you will not fully benefit from your health assessment and it will be incomplete.

Part 1. Complete the pre-assessment questionnaire

On booking your appointment using the online booking system there will be a lifestyle pre-assessment questionnaire to complete, this takes only 4-5 minutes. Please complete this at the time of booking. These questions will cover aspects of your diet and lifestyle and will focus on:

• Smoking
• Perceived stress
• Perceived eating habits (diet)
• Alcohol intake
• Sleep
• Exercise

Please answer all the questions as accurately as you can when undertaking the questionnaire.

Bowel awareness – This will be covered at your appointment, you will asked by your Healthcare Practitioner the following 5 questions regarding your bowel habits please consider your answers below before your appointment:

4. Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your stools
5. A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habits
6. Any abdominal pain not related to diet or stress
7. Loss of appetite or feel sick frequently for no obvious reason
8. Frequent constipation (hard to pass stools) i.e. more than twice a week

Part 2 – Collecting your stats

Once you have completed the pre-assessment lifestyle questionnaire (part 1), you will be required to undertake some measurements – these are simple measurements to help us in assessing your health status. These measurements are required to be completed prior to the virtual health assessment appointment.

Once you have completed these, note the results down on the My Results form and have this information available at your virtual appointment.

IMPORTANT

Below are the checks you will need to undertake prior to your virtual health assessment. Ensure you have written the data/results on to the My Results form and have this to hand to discuss with your healthcare practitioner at the time of your appointment.

1. Height and weight

You may know your height already and have scales at home in which case this will only take a few seconds to complete! Don’t worry about the units – whether cm/m, feet and inches, kg or stones, note these measurements down on the form provided or where you can have these available on the day.

If you do not have scales at home, you will need to access these elsewhere, some chemists or shops, such as Boots, have these available to use which can measure height, weight and calculate BMI.

2. Body mass index

If you have been able to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), for example by using a machine which undertook BMI analysis during height and weight measurements, then write down the value. However, our Healthcare Practitioner will show you how to calculate BMI at your appointment and will discuss the value with you.

3. Resting heart rate (pulse)

Your resting heart rate taken first thing in the morning gives an indication of your general wellness. What is normal depends on your age and fitness.

If you have a device that shows your resting heart rate or pulse, such as a fitness tracker or phone App, note the value on 3 occasions, ideally first thing in the morning or when you have been resting for at least 5 minutes, and take the average of all 3. It is ideal to do this first thing in the morning, otherwise there may be a wide parameter of values. Note all 3 measurements and write down the average on the form provided.

If you need to, you can also do this manually, as indicated below, again take 3 measurements ideally first thing in the morning or when you have been resting for at least 5 minutes and then the average – note the average value down on the form provided.

Checking resting heart rate (pulse) manually

You can find your pulse in your wrist or neck.

To find your pulse in your wrist:

1. Hold out one of your hands, with your palm facing upwards
2. Press the first (index) finger and middle finger of your other hand on the inside of your wrist, at the base of your thumb – don’t use your thumb as it has its own pulse
3. Press your skin lightly until you can feel your pulse – if you can’t find it, try pressing a little harder or move your fingers around

To find your pulse in your neck:

1. Press your first finger and middle finger to the side of your neck, just under your jaw and beside your windpipe – don’t use your thumb
2. Press your skin lightly to feel your pulse – if you can’t find it, try pressing a little harder or move your fingers around

 Checking your pulse

When you find your pulse, either:

• Count the number of beats you feel for 60 seconds
• Count the number for 30 seconds and multiply by 2

This gives you your heart rate – the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm).

You can also check if your pulse is regular or irregular by feeling its rhythm for about 30 seconds. It’s very common to have occasional irregular heartbeats, such as missed beats.

4. Waist and hip circumferences and calculation of waist-to-hip ratio

Both waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are ways to identify the ‘fatness’ around your abdomen.

You will receive a tape measure in the post so that you are able to measure your waist and hip circumferences (in centimetres).

Measuring my hip and waist circumference

Below is a guide to undertaking waist and hip measurements using the tape measure provided to you:

It may be easier if someone else takes the measurements for you, however this is not essential.

1. Many individuals unconsciously react to waist measurements by breathing in the stomach; hence, a relaxed posture is best for taking waist measurements.
2. Stand with feet positioned close together (just a few inches apart) and weight evenly distributed across the feet.
3. Take a few deep, natural breaths and relax before the actual measurement is made.
4. Waist circumference should be measured at the midpoint between the bottom of the last rib and the top of the hip bone. This is usually around the ‘belly button’ or just above it.
5. Hip circumference should be measured around the widest portion of the buttocks, with the tape parallel to the floor.

See image below:

1. For both waist and hip measurements, the tape should be snug around the body, but not pulled so tight that it is constricting.
2. If possible, it is recommended that waist measurement should be repeated twice; if the measurements are within 1 cm of one another, the average should be calculated. If the difference between the two measurements exceeds 1 cm, the two measurements should be repeated.

Note down your waist and hip measurements in centimetres on the My Results form provided.

Waist-to-hip ratio

If you wish, you can calculate your own waist-to-hip ratio simply by using the formula below, otherwise your Healthcare Practitioner will do this for you at your appointment.

Waist-to-hip ratio can be simply calculated by:

Waist circumference (in cms) ÷ hip circumference (in cms)

Part 3 – Self checks

For this part of your pre-assessment you will be undertaking a self check appropriate for your gender, that is a self check for a woman or self check for a man.

In addition, two brief online NHS checks.

Again, note down any information on your self check (as you go through the ‘changes to look out for’) on the My Results form provided or where you can have these available on the day.

• Self checks – women
• Self checks – men

How-to Guide – Self checks – Women

It’s important to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel. Breast changes can happen for many reasons, also at different times of the month and most are not serious. Look out for changes in the outline or shape of the breasts, for lumps, thickening or bumps, and for changes to the nipple or skin. It’s best to see a doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of these changes. It is important to know what is normal for you which helps you to identify any changes.

Undertaking your self check:

It is important when you do this to press firmly on the areas when checking to ensure any lumps and bumps do not go unnoticed.

Look at your breasts and feel each breast and armpit, and up to your collarbone. You may find it easiest to do this in the shower or bath, by running a soapy hand over each breast and up under each armpit.

You can also look at your breasts in the mirror. Look with your arms by your side and also with them raised.

Changes to look out for:

• A change in the size, outline or shape of your breast
• A change in the look or feel of your skin, such as puckering or dimpling
• A new lump, thickening or bumpy area in one breast or armpit that is different from the same area on the other side
• Nipple discharge that’s not milky
• Bleeding from your nipple
• A moist, red area on your nipple that doesn’t heal easily
• Any change in nipple position, such as your nipple being pulled in or pointing differently
• A rash on or around your nipple
• Any discomfort or pain in one breast, particularly if it’s a new pain and doesn’t go away (although pain is only a symptom of breast cancer in rare cases)

Note down any unusual observations as you go through ‘changes to look out for’. Your Healthcare Practitioner will ask you how your self check went and concerns or unusual observations you may have noticed.

Use the link below for further information for your self check, this link will be included within your email.

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/womens-health/how-should-i-check-my-breasts/

Self Checks for women – smear test

Cervical screening (a smear test) checks the health of your cervix. It’s not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer. The sample is checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells of your cervix. 

All women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 should have a smear test as follows:

• Under 25 years – up to 6 months before you turn 25
• 25 to 49 years – every 3 years
• 50 to 64 years – every 5 years

You will be asked at your virtual health assessment when you had your smear test, please record the approximate date on the form within your email or note this down so that you have the information available on the day.

How-to Guide – Self checks – Men

This is an essential check to discover lumps or bumps and to check regularly so you can recognise an abnormality.

Check your testicles after a warm bath or shower, holding your scrotum in the palm of your hand and using the fingers and thumbs of both hands to examine your testes.

Changes to look out for:

• A hard lump on the front or side of a testicle
• Swelling or enlargement of a testicle
• An increase in firmness of a testicle
• Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum (the sac that holds the testicles)
• An unusual difference between one testicle and the other

Note down any unusual observations as you go through ‘changes to look out for’. Your Healthcare Practitioner will ask you how your self check went and concerns or unusual observations you may have noticed.

Use the link below for further information for your self check, this will also be included in your email.

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/mens-health/what-should-my-testicles-look-and-feel-like/

Online tests to complete – NHS heart age test and NHS how are you test NHS heart age test – online

Use the online link below to take the NHS heart age test online. The test takes 1-2 minutes to complete. Note down the result of your calculated heart age versus your actual age on the form attached within your email or have this information available with you at your virtual appointment. The test also provides some useful information on how to improve your heart age.

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/check-your-health/heart-age-test/

NHS how are you test – online

Use the online link below to take the NHS how are you test online. The test (quiz) takes a couple of minutes to complete. Note down the score from the quiz on the form attached within your email or have this information available with you at your virtual appointment. The test also provides some useful information on how to improve your wellbeing from your score.

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/how-are-you-quiz/

Well done! You have now completed all the data required for your virtual health check

Please ensure you have all this data available on the day of your appointment to provide for your Healthcare Practitioner.

Once you have read and understood the above information it is time to make your booking. Please take the following steps:

1. Book your health assessment by clicking onto the booking link at the end of this information.
2. Whilst making your booking include your address information where indicated, we will be posting the tape measure to you which is necessary for waist circumference measurement. If you do not provide your address details you will not be able to benefit from the results of this important health indicator.
3. Complete the online pre-qualification questionnaire.

Booking the virtual health assessment, completing your details and the pre-assessment questionnaire takes around 5 minutes. Once completed, you will receive SMS/email confirmation, calendar invite and reminder.

Once you have completed tier 1 virtual health assessment, you may be invited to undertake tier 2 check (depending on your BMI and / or waist circumference). Have your diary to hand for your Healthcare Practitioner to make this booking for you. You will receive a document explaining what you need to do for tier 2 health assessment, but in summary the additional checks that will be undertaken are:

• Blood glucose
• Total cholesterol
• PSA testing (male screen)
• Thyroid (female screen)

Tier 2 is usually undertaken approximately 14 working days after tier 1 appointment, you will need time to undertake all of the above tests and have all your results available on the day of your appointment. We will post the test kits to you so you need time available to complete these.

These tests require a few drops of blood, we will give you the equipment to do this. Taking a few drops of blood is simply performed by a ‘skin prick test’ using a simple device – these will be provided to you in addition to the testing kits (one for each kit as they are single use). You do not see the needle when you undertake the ‘skin prick test’.

Although self-tests are a useful tool, they are based on a one off result and are not an alternative for NHS screening programmes. A number of factors may provide a positive or negative result and your virtual health assessment consultation is based on the results provided by you. Always consult a medical practitioner if you have any health concerns. A GP will conduct an appropriate assessment and advise further investigations or examinations where necessary.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims to promote high standards in the handling of personal information and so protect the individual’s right to privacy.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on May 25th 2018 and replaced the Data Protection Act 1998.

GDPR is concerned with respecting the rights of individuals when processing their personal information.

We do not share your personal data with your employer or any third parties.

Following the virtual health assessments The Healthy Employee Ltd provides an aggregated group report to the client which does not refer to an individual by name the aim of which is to inform future health and wellbeing strategy.