Healthcare provider BUPA has launched a new service: mobile occupational health screening units.
The units, in vans, replicate the company’s static OH facilities and were designed for its client Network Rail, said BUPA.
The idea behind the launch is that the units will help to reduce some of the working hours that are lost to employers through employees having to travel to medical screenings.
They can carry out standard medical tests, including height, weight, body mass index, vision, hearing, urine, and drug and alcohol testing, as well as tests for hand-arm vibration syndrome and mobility.
The first mobile unit was launched in March in Llanelli, Wales. It moved to Cardiff this month and then to Newport and Shrewsbury. The second unit began operating in Perth and is expected to be offered to other clients during the year.
In a separate development, a survey for BUPA has found that one in four Britons has suffered from knee pain in the past year, 81% are currently in pain and one-third have been in pain for more than five years. It has launched a new online knee clinic offering information and advice on treatments and management strategies, which can be accessed by members and non-members alike.
