Stagecoach UK employees benefit from health drive

Stagecoach UK’s Healthy Heart Bus project, which ran from 2010 to 2012, involved more than 3,000 employees in its bus division.

The voluntary heart health screening project was offered in partnership with independent hospital provider BMI Healthcare.

June Ashton, HR manager for the Stagecoach Group’s UK division, says: “Our chief executive, Sir Brian Souter, came up with the idea after speaking to a cardiologist. He personally funded half of the project because he feels passionately about healthcare.”

A bus was refurbished as a mobile cardio-screening unit and toured Stagecoach’s UK bus depots, providing free heart health check-ups for thousands of employees. Staff received individual advice on ways to improve their heart health or access further medical tests through their doctor, if required.

“The project was well received,” says Ashton. “Initially, people were sceptical about taking part, but eventually they came round to the idea of getting themselves checked out.

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“It helped make a practical difference and, for some members of our driving team, it identified health issues that have been able to be addressed more quickly.”

The organisation worked closely with the trade unions Unite and RMT on the project to ensure that staff were entirely comfortable with the initiative.