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Let’s hear it for the boys! Male staff from our local hospitals have been supporting a Men’s Health Fair organised by North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.

The Trust’s Men’s Staff Network spearheaded the event in Sawtry, inviting colleagues working at Peterborough City Hospital, Hinchinbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon and Stamford & Rutland Hospital to receive free health and wellbeing advice. 

Holding the event in a community setting gave staff and their male family members and friends the opportunity to receive important advice and information in an informal and relaxed setting. 

Almost 100 men braved the weekend’s stormy condition to support the Health Fair and  take advantage of free health checks provided by Trust professionals on a range of topics ranging from prostate cancer, cholesterol and blood sugar tests, healthy eating, giving up smoking, alcohol reduction, mental health, wellbeing, male breast cancer, bowel screening and much more.

 

Organisers of the event were also able to secure the Health Outreach Bus (thanks to the Peterborough Light Project), where Trust Macmillan Consultant Urological Surgeon, Miss Jyoti Shah MBE, and her team delivered a packed programme of free prostate health checks on male staff who had booked an appointment, as well as drop-in appointments on the day.

Miss Shah said: “A lot of men like to bury their head in the sand when it comes to their health. They are often too busy to go to their doctor or to access the relevant services. Staging community events like this encourages men to come along and get checked and be informed in a much more relaxed environment.

“Because prostate cancer often doesn’t have any symptoms – they won’t appreciate the need to go and get checked for a problem that effectively doesn’t exist. However, because there are no signs, that doesn’t mean that it’s not there.”

Local business TR Scaffolding and Vogal Group and Ck4 Construction supported the Fair through generous sponsorship, which allowed visitors to take away a fantastic goodie bag – as well as enjoying some complimentary self-care thanks to barber Matt Rodwell.

A huge thanks also to North West Anglia Hospitals’ Charity and the Transformation and Improvement Team for helping to stage the event and to Trust Volunteers who made sure everyone was able to enjoy a hot drink and some delicious cakes and tray bakes. 

 

Men’s Staff Network chair, Chris Howard said: “We were really keen to put on event just for our male staff, and ‘Movember’ seemed like the perfect time. 

“We were fortunate enough to be able to book the Outreach Health Bus to meet the demand of those making an appointment for a free prostate health check. Our various teams around the Trust came together to bring their wealth of expertise to over 70 male staff and other visitors.

“A huge thanks to everyone who visited and to the many behind the scenes who helped to make this a great success. Men’s Health is an important topic, and watch this space as similar events could be happening in 2025!”

Pic cap: North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust staff and volunteers who helped to organise and run the first Men’s Health.