Equipsme HR Guide – heart health

Heart and circulatory diseases, collectively known as cardiovascular disease (CVD), are very common in the UK, affecting an estimated 7.6 million¹ people. In fact the British Heart Foundation estimated more than half of us will get a heart or circulatory condition in lifetime. They are a leading cause of death and disability - accounting for approximately one in four² premature deaths.

All of that means that heart health is going to have an impact on your business.

People dealing with heart problems will clearly need to take time out of work for hospital appointments and recovery, and may need to have duties or hours reduced.

A heart health emergency like a heart attack might also take place IN the workplace – so knowing and planning how you would respond is also crucial.

There’s also lots you could be doing to encourage good heart health in your organisation, too, from raising awareness of signs and symptoms to encouraging and supporting healthy habits.

Heart health in numbers

7.6 million people in the UK are living with heart and circulatory diseases – 4 million men and 3.6 million women
26% of deaths in the UK are caused by heart and circulatory diseases
175,000 people die from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK, 49,000 of which are counted as premature deaths
49,000 under 75 die from heart and circulatory diseases each year
80% of people with heart and circulatory diseases also have at least one other health condition
£12 billion – the healthcare costs in relation to heart and circulatory diseases
£28 billion – the cost to the wider economy
2.3 million people in the UK have coronary heart disease
1 million people are living with heart failure
100,000 – the number of strokes in the UK each year
100,000 – the number of annual hospital admissions due to heart attacks
7 out of 10 – the survival rate for heart attacks in the UK
30,000 – the number of out of hospital cardiac arrests each year
1 out of 10 – the survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrests
64%³ of UK adults are overweight, and 11.9%⁴ are smokers – two more key risk factors for CVD.

(Numbers from the British Heart Foundation⁵)

What the law says about heart health

CVD is a significant contributor to disability, with many individuals experiencing long-term health problems as a result of heart conditions like cardiac arrests, strokes or heart failure. Disabilities are recognised and protected by the Equality Act 2010, which means businesses have a duty of care for employees, and must make reasonable adjustments to help them do their jobs.

How businesses can support heart health

1. Encourage heart-healthy habits

Businesses have a role to play in supporting heart health by encouraging healthy habits as part of their wider health and wellbeing strategies.

Some of the risk factors for heart and circulatory diseases include weight, poor diet, lack of exercise – and smoking. There are plenty of things businesses can do to support people to eat better, move more – and quit the cigarettes. That might include providing healthy snacks and encouraging proper lunch breaks, creating walking/running/cycling challenges for charity - or providing stop smoking⁶ support and signposting.

2. Tackle stress

Stress⁷ can have a significant impact on heart health, largely because it can drive unhealthy habits - like smoking, drinking and eating sugary foods. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of UK adults⁸ have felt so stressed at some point they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.

Tackling mental health can impact physical health – and should be a priority for businesses. Lots of organisations have mental health policies or champions, but it’s also worth investing in specialist training for line managers. They’re at the front line when it comes to recognising mental health issues, and signposting people to the support your organisation has made available.

3. Raise awareness

Raising awareness of heart health signs and symptoms is a great way to help people spot problems early, or understand what to do in an emergency. Taking part in campaigns like Stroke Awareness Month⁹ in May, Restart a Heart Day¹⁰ or Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month¹¹ in October are a great place to begin.

It’s also really important to remember you can’t tell who’s at risk of coronary or circulatory diseases just by looking at them – and many people don’t have or don’t put together early symptoms.

Businesses have a role to play in encouraging people to be proactive about their health, and raising awareness of how important it is to know what’s going on inside – for instance their blood pressure¹² or cholesterol levels¹³. Every September is national Know Your Numbers Week¹⁴ – the UK’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event, and a great excuse to get talking about prevention and wider heart health.

4. Be prepared

Most businesses will have policies in place to deal with chronic illnesses, sick leave and return to work accommodations. But many won’t be prepared for a heart health emergency on their premises.

Consider offering company-wide CPR training¹⁵, or at least making sure your first aiders are up-to-date and able to cover your entire workforce. It’s also worth finding out where your nearest defibrillator¹⁶ is, or even getting one installed.

5. Remind people about their Equipsme plan

Equipsme is here to help people with their heart health in lots of different ways.

Thriva healthchecks

Plan levels 1, 2 and 3 come with an annual home health check from our preventative health partners Thriva¹⁸ plus 20% discounts on further tests – which can include things like cholesterol levels and other heart-health markers. Members on GP Plus receive a 30% discount off any of the Thriva health checks and all members can also get 25% of a full, in-person Nuffield health check, too.

Find out more about Thriva healthchecks

Equipsme 24/7 GP service

The symptoms of heart problems can range from mild breathlessness and fatigue to a racing heart, chest pain, arm, jaw and back pain. It’s incredibly important to create a culture where people feel okay to take time off to see someone – even for something they might not immediately class as urgent.

With an estimated 4 in 10¹⁹ people struggling to find an appointment at their own surgery, being able to get one 24/7 through Equipsme at a convenient time can really help. What’s more, the GP service can write open referral letters that can open up the path to private diagnosis faster (subject to claim assessment and eligibility). Your employee members can also pay for a private prescription to be delivered or picked up from a local pharmacy.

Find out more about the Equipsme GP service

Heart health support line

If people are worried about their own heart, about a family member with heart problems, if they’re preparing for or recovering from surgery, the health support line can help. It includes a team of dedicated heart-health experts, and they’re on hand to talk through any questions, explain procedures and jargon, and offer advice and guidance.

Find out more about the heart health support line

Stress support EAP

If you don’t already have an EAP support service for your employees, you can add one to your Equipsme plan for all employees covered for £1.50 per person per month. Provided by our partners Health Assured, our stress support service offers phone support for mental health issues, which can even be extended to see counsellors face-to-face.

Find out more about stress support through Equipsme