More than one in four employees flagged for GP follow-up after workplace health checks

More than one in four employees undergoing workplace health screening were advised to contact their GP after tests identified cardiovascular health markers outside recommended ranges.

Data from workplace wellbeing provider New Leaf Health shows 28 per cent of 1,764 employees screened across UK organisations between January and July 2026 were advised to arrange follow-up testing with their GP.

The findings highlight the potential role employers can play in preventative health, particularly in identifying risk factors which may otherwise remain undetected until symptoms develop or health deteriorates.

New Leaf Health’s workplace screenings measure three cardiovascular markers: blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose. Results are compared with ranges based on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance.

Of those screened, 495 recorded results which led to a recommendation that they contact their GP for further investigation.

The screenings are not diagnostic and New Leaf Health stressed that employees were not formally referred to their GP. Instead, the tests provide an indication that further clinical investigation may be appropriate.

The findings are particularly relevant because several of the risk factors being measured can remain undetected.

New Leaf Health cited national figures showing around one in three UK adults has high blood pressure, while just under half of adults have raised cholesterol. It also pointed to Diabetes UK estimates that 1.3 million people are living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

For employers, the results raise questions about whether preventative physical health should play a greater role within workplace health and wellbeing strategies.

Providing health checks at work can potentially reach employees who may otherwise delay routine health appointments, while giving them an opportunity to discuss areas including physical activity, nutrition, sleep and smoking.

This could become increasingly important as employers look beyond reactive support for sickness absence towards earlier intervention and maintaining people’s health while they remain in work.

However, workplace screening does not replace NHS diagnosis or treatment. Employees receiving results outside recommended ranges still require appropriate follow-up through healthcare services.

Andy Lee O’Neil, director at New Leaf Health, said: “Personal health can often fall to the bottom of an employee’s to-do list until symptoms appear, especially in a busy workplace. Offering routine health checks as a workplace benefit breaks that cycle. It gives staff total peace of mind in just  10 minutes, while helping employers build a resilient, healthy workforce from the inside out.”

The figures add to a wider shift in workplace wellbeing towards prevention and early intervention. Employers are increasingly considering how access to health support at work could help identify risks before they contribute to more serious illness, long-term absence or people leaving the workforce because of ill health.