'Reassuring' Pit Stop health checks for truckers
BBCA motorway service station has gone the extra mile by providing a walk-in clinic for motorists, in partnership with the NHS.
Nurses from Bath and North East Somerset Enhanced Medical Services (BEMS) – along with the Wiltshire Health Improvement Hub – offered blood pressure checks and other health and wellbeing advice at the Chippenham Pit Stop in Wiltshire.
Truckers spend much of the working week away from home and can therefore find it difficult to access GP appointments and other medical services.
HGV Driver Alan Tunmore, who has type two Diabetes and does between 60-65 hours of driving per week, said it was "reassuring" to get his blood pressure checked at the lorry park.
'A really good idea'
"I think it's a really good idea, a lot of these drivers are out all week, you're doing 12-15 hours a day," Tunmore said.
"On a Friday I don't get home until nine o'clock at night, and the last thing you want to do if you've got a bit of an ailment is go to the doctors or even minor injuries because you just want to go to bed."
The community nurses on site were joined by Wiltshire Council's Health Improvement Hub, who offered HGV drivers weight management tips and advice on how to quit smoking.
BEMS nurse, Becky Park, said: "It's about raising their awareness of how they can reduce salt intake…and what sort of exercise they could do even if it's just ten minutes of exercise at the back of their truck.
"The idea is to get them to know their numbers. Most people do not know if they've got high blood pressure and it's too late when it's gone too high. It can lead to strokes and coronary artery heart disease," Park said.
The award-winning Chippenham Pit Stop – which is located just off junction 17 of the M4 – offers an independent, family run truck-stop, equipped with a café, convenience store, bar, outdoor gym, showers, and overnight parking.
David Hatherell, the truck stop's boss, said: "It's often forgotten or not truly appreciated that without the UK's thousands of truckers spending long hours behind the wheel the nation's entire economy would grind to a halt."
The NHS walk-in sessions will return to the Chippenham Pit Stop on 20 May, where drivers can book a slot in advance, or simply turn up on the day.
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