Oxford United fans get a heart MOT (From Banbury Cake)

Oxford United fans get a heart MOT

5:47pm Monday 8th February 2010

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OXFORD United fans made the most of free health “MOTs” at the Kassam Stadium.

Fans aged 40 and over were offered health checks by NHS Oxfordshire, the county’s primary care trust, before the U’s took on Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

The NHS Oxfordshire Health Bus pulled up outside the stadium in Grenoble Road to allow nursing staff to measure the blood pressure, height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of fans as part of a drive to tackle cardio- vascular disease.

Eighty-year-old Doug Eva, of Cavell Road, Cowley, stopped to see what the team of nurses and health practitioners had to say. The grandfather-of-two, who was found to be in good health, said: “I have been meaning to go to my GP to get my ‘MOT’ done for a bit, but as this is here I thought I would pop in.

“You don’t like to bother your GP too much. They are always so busy, so this is a good idea.

“They asked the usual questions like how many pints of beer I drink and so on.

“I find it is always best to be honest.”

It is estimated that out of 240,000 Oxfordshire adults aged between 40 and 74, about 40,000 are at risk of cardio- vascular disease. NHS Oxfordshire has been taking the health bus out into the community and into work places to raise awareness of how important it is to keep a healthy heart.

The health checks take about 15 minutes and are followed by tips about finding the ‘healthier you’, including advice on smoking, healthy eating, exercising regularly and cutting down on alcohol.

Alan Measures, 50, of Banbury, also visited the bus ahead of the match.

The father-of-three said: “I think it’s a good idea to have these sorts of checks in places where you wouldn’t usually expect them.

“I expect to be told to lose some weight, but it’s good to get an official view.”

Claire Laurent, health improvement practitioner at NHS Oxfordshire, said the scheme was a pilot project which will be rolled out nationally later in the year.

Ms Laurent added: “We think we might be able to reach people who might not normally go to their GP and have a health check, but might be quite happy to come in here.

“It’s easier to detect the risk of heart disease in people aged 40 and over, and people aged over 74 tend to be seeing their doctor anyway, so we’re really targeting the project within that age range.”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk

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