Farmers encouraged to get health checkup at market

Farmers are being encouraged to get a health checkup at a livestock market as part of attempts to get them to talk about their health concerns.

A team of nurses is making monthly visits to the market in Cirencester.

They say they are able to talk to farmers about both physical and mental health concerns. An NHS spokesman said they understood there could be barriers to accessing healthcare in a rural setting.

Karis Ramsay, clinical learning and development lead for the NHS in Gloucestershire said "farming can be a stressful life" which can lead to farmers' mental health suffering.

"Isolation and loneliness are phases often expressed by our farmers from all kinds of different farming backgrounds," she added.

"Farmers are telling us that they don't have time to do their farm work if they take time out to seek help so that puts even more pressure on them."

Other checks will include checking body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate.

The team will also check for signs of diabetes "if there is a clinical need".

Jule Zatman-Symonds, deputy chief nurse for NHS Gloucestershire, said farmers often suffer because they are an "overlooked" group for health.

"Often the issues experienced in our local farming communities can be overlooked because as a group they may be reluctant to seek help or find the time to attend appointments, which can then lead to poorer health and wellbeing outcomes," she explained.

Richard Barrow has cattle, sheep and horses on his 212 acre farm in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. He says farmers are too busy to wait for a regular GP appointment.

"You try to get a doctor's appointment for something hopefully quite trivial but you have to wait weeks on end. So with it being here it's very handy.

"As farmers we don't necessarily put our health first. We lead a busy lifestyle. We're just in a tractor, then meals and bed. That's it really. And you don't have time to do all these things. And farmers probably don't look after themselves as well as they could and probably should."

He also likes the relaxed feel in the unit.

"You have a bit of a laugh and a joke with them rather than sitting in a doctor's surgery where it feels a bit more pressurized. It's all just laid back."

Another farmer visiting the bus is Jim Noad, a part-time farmer in Devizes who also works two days a week at the Cirencester livestock market.

He likes the convenience, and has had two check-ups this year.

"It's brilliant, saves me having to make an appointment to see the GP. It's here on hand. I leave home at half past six in the morning, don't get home until late evening, so is very convenient."

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