A new nationwide heart health check programme launches today, aiming to testup to 100,000 workers for risk indicators of cardiovascular disease, with follow-up information and supportprovided by Pharmacy2U, the UK’s largest online pharmacy.

The first-of-its-kind initiative by an online pharmacy aims to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease inthe workplace. It aims to reach the 62% of English adults who were not reached through the NHS Health Check programme last year, where cholesterol issues are usually spotted.

Royal Mail is one of the first to join the new Healthy Heart Programme, as part of a shared mission to putemployees in control of their heart health. It will offer the self-test digital cholesterol check kits, which can be done in ten minutes at home, at your desk, or on the move, to all its employees across the country.

Carl Lockwood,

Carl Lockwood, a postman based in Leeds, continues to work for Royal Mail after surviving a cardiac arrest that caused his heart to stop three times, requiring CPR from a colleague before paramedics arrived. He lives with atrial fibrillation, which cannot be restored to a normal rhythm and is managed through medication alongside a stent in his left ventricle. Despite adapting his role to driving parcels rather than walking routes, Carl remains active and positive, reflecting on his experience with characteristic good humour: "It's the way I am."

He continued: “I’ve always been your typical postie – on my feet all day, loving exercise and getting out and about – ultra running, hill walking, the lot. That was why my cardiac arrest was so unexpected. I’vedone as much as I can to embrace my new version of life, as I know it could have been much worse.

“What Pharmacy2U is doing is brilliant. It’s so important that people get the chance to check in on their heart health, as it really can happen to anyone. I’m glad my colleagues will get an opportunity to learn about their heart health, and I’m looking forward to hearing positive stories from workplaces across the country.”


Participants will receive a free ‘Healthy Heart Check’, developed with partners PocDoc, which uses amicrofluidic test and a smartphone to test cholesterol levels and provide an estimated heart age. Earlydetection is critical to improving heart health across the UK, and the workplace presents a good opportunity to reach people sooner.

When life gets busy, health checks are often the first thing to fall to the bottom of the to-do list. Bringing cardiovascular testing into the workplace makes it easier for people to access checks without taking extra time out of their day.

We’ve worked with Royal Mail for over 25 years, so this gives us a chance to give back to one of our longest-standing partners, and the employees who deliver millions of prescriptions for us every year. We are proud to be rolling this out nationwide, to promote early detection and do our part in helping to improve the heart health of thousands of people across the UK.

The Government’s 10-Year Plan wants the NHS to focus on prevention, delivered digitally by the primary care sector, and that’s exactly what initiatives like this aim to do.

Pharmacy2U is pioneering a digital-first approach to health testing and support, which includes a pharmacist telephone consultation about the test results. A programme of healthy heart information and support is delivered to their inbox over 8 -10 weeks with the option to take a second test where appropriate.

Our people are the heart of our business, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to remove barriers that might be stopping people from prioritising their health. Workplace wellbeing is becoming increasingly important to our industry, and we know that our employees are always looking for ways to check in on their health.

As sick days reach 9.5 days a year per worker in the UK, the programme also allows businesses to help their employees identify potential risk factors early to help ensure a productive and healthy workforce, in line with the government’s Get Britain Working strategy.

The nationwide testing programme follows a 2025 study from Pharmacy2U into the effectiveness of at-home cholesterol testing. The company is aiming to work with the NHS to adopt the digital-first clinical pathway as an NHS service. The study found one in four Brits aged 40-74 have never had their cholesterol checked, despite cardiovascular disease causing around a quarter of UK deaths (roughly 170,000 annually).

To learn more about the programme and sign up your workplace, visit:https://www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/healthy-hearts-workplace-programme