Farmers matter across the Northern Trust
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is the largest geographical Trust in Northern Ireland, spanning over 1733 miles. The Trust serves a population of just under 480,000, and according to 2021 census figures, nearly 204,000 people or 42.5% of the population live in rural areas.
The Trust has a proven track record of developing initiatives which are designed to specifically improve the health and wellbeing of its rural communities. These include the Farm Families Health Checks Programme, Farmers’ Choir NI and a social prescribing project for rural men.
A Rural Health Forum was set up in 2023 and it brings together Northern Trust staff to raise awareness about key rural issues and help address challenges. In 2024 it launched its first ‘Rural Matters’ Framework, putting a renewed focus on efforts to support and enhance rural health and wellbeing.
Yvonne Carson, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager, said: “We are committed to improving these outcomes for our rural population, including farm families. We work in partnership with a range of organisations with a strong rural remit to help reduce health inequalities in rural areas. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and with our new framework in place, we’re looking forward to making further progress.”
This is the first in a series of articles, which over the next few weeks, will focus on farmers’ health and wellbeing. We hope you enjoy reading them.
Farmers urged to ‘check under the bonnet’
The Farm Families Health Checks Programme will be out and about at livestock marts throughout February encouraging farmers to take some time to ‘check under the bonnet’.
This valuable service gives farmers and their families access to free health checks in a mobile clinic at local rural settings.
Staff can offer on-the-spot checks including blood pressure monitoring, Body Mass Index, cholesterol and diabetic screening. In addition, individual lifestyle advice can be provided on a range of health issues, and onward referral to local support services as required.
Recently a new edition to the programme has been added – the HbA1C test which checks average blood sugar levels for the last two to three months and is used as an indicator for Type 2 Diabetes.
Christina Faulkner, Farm Families Health Checks Coordinator said: “Diabetes is a serious condition where the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high. There are two types of the condition – Type 1 and Type 2.
“The HbA1C test has picked up many undiagnosed Type 2 diabetics, which unlike Type I can be prevented. Type 2 Diabetes is becoming increasingly common and this is mainly due to lifestyle factors including being less physically active and being overweight. It is believed that there are many in the population who have a high blood sugar but are unaware of it. It can lead to long-term health problems but many of the effects can be avoided if it is diagnosed early.
“We’ve picked up lots of undiagnosed and untreated health issues over the years and helped many people take that first step to better health and wellbeing.
“We offer a friendly confidential service giving busy farmers the opportunity to have a health check carried out at a time and place that suits them.
“We have had many important conversations with farmers and they are always very thankful for our support and advice. Just remember, ‘your health is your wealth’.
“At the RUAS Winter Fair back in December we were delighted to welcome HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to our mobile unit. We chatted with him about how we are making a difference by taking our services to the heart of rural communities. He congratulated staff involved and was very interested in finding out about the tests we carry out as part of our assessment which was a great endorsement for our work.”
During February, the Farm Families Health Checks Van will be in attendance at the following marts:
February 11, Lisnaskea
February 15, Clogher
February 17, Swatragh
February 20, Enniskillen
February 21, Ballymena
February 22, Markethill
February 24, Omagh
The Farm Families Health Checks Programme is coordinated by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and funded by DAERA and Public Health Agency. It has been operating across Northern Ireland since 2012 and to date has seen almost 27,000 clients.
If you would like the team to attend an event in your area please email farm.families6@northerntrust.hscni.net or call 028 2563 5573.
3rd February 2025
