Farmers urged to have regular health check-ups

Recent screening programmes at auction marts and agricultural shows resulted in nearly four out of every 10 farmers being referred to their GP, double the level that would normally be expected.

The screenings have been organised by a group of health professionals in North Yorkshire to try to improve the health of farmers as they have found they are more likely to take advantage of such events rather than attend their GP's surgery.

Graham Bulmer, rural development officer for the Farming Business Support and Development Project, told the Yorkshire Post that more often than not simple dietary and medical changes can help improve farmers' health, provided they seek regular advice.

Mr Bulmer said: "Ultimately it comes down to prevention being better than the cure.

"We have been working with Thirsk Auction Mart for a number of years running health check days to screen farmers who do not go to the doctors as regularly as they should.

"The statistics that we have got from that consistently showed that 30-40 per cent of those we saw needed to be referred to their GP. For a regular section of society we would expect to see referral levels in the mid teens."

Mr Bulmer said that the demanding and busy schedules that farming dictates, coupled with the remote nature of farming, were the reasons why so few farmers attended check-ups.

"There is the element of the stoic farming folk who do not go to the doctors unless they are forced to," he said.

As well as Mr Bulmer's organisation, the programme involves Ryedale Health Centres and was aided by a donation of vital equipment by the Ryedale Lion's Club which is now carrying out the tests at auction marts.

Mr Bulmer said that generally there were simple solutions to any of the health problems they detect.

"What we have found from the referrals we have made is that often some simple dietary advice is all that is needed. Small changes to eating habits can bring big benefits."