Tag: health screening

  • Tax-Free Health Screenings: Safeguard Key Employees

    Tax-Free Health Screenings: Safeguard Key Employees

    1. Tax Benefits of Health Screenings for UK Businesses

    Investing in tax-free health screenings brings large benefits to your team. A health screening can help them stay healthy and productive. Even better, these screenings are completely tax-free for employees, directors, and companies alike.

    In today’s high-tax environment, this is an important opportunity for UK businesses. It’s a “double win” that boosts both employee wellness and financial efficiency.

    2. Protect Your Most Valuable Assets: Key Employees

    Over 50% of UK businesses consider losing key individuals to be their greatest risk. The serious illness of a key team leader, board member, or director can significantly impact not only their productivity but also team morale, project timelines, and overall financial stability.

    Imagine if you, or another key team member, had to step away from work for months. What would happen to daily operations? Could it jeopardise important projects? Would it affect profits and the stability of your business?

    These questions underscore the substantial risks that ill health poses to any company. Small family businesses face this risk as much as—if not more than—larger companies. Whether you’re a close-knit team of two or a large company with 2,000 people, your team members are your most valuable assets.

    Regular health screenings can help safeguard your team’s well-being. Good health means key individuals stay healthy, focused, and ready to contribute to your company’s success.

    3. What Is Included in a Corporate Health Screening Package?

    We offer a range of health screening packages tailored to meet the needs of businesses and their teams. Below is an overview of what each package includes:

    – Advanced Health Screening

    A comprehensive 90-minute assessment with your doctor, including:

    • Full Clinical Examination
    • Advanced Blood Analysis: Over 100 biomarkers.
    • Cardiovascular Risk Assessment: Full lipid panel, lipoprotein (a), ECG, and blood pressure measurement.
    • Metabolic Health Assessment: Diabetes screening, body measurements, and body fat levels.
    • Cancer Screening: Bowel cancer screening, PSA test for males, and cervical screening for females.
    • Family History Review
    • Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, and Mood Assessment
    • Personalised Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Plans
    • 30-Minute Follow-Up Consultation with your doctor

    – Complete Health Screening

    Includes everything in the Advanced package, plus:

    – Ultimate Health Screening

    • Whole-Body MRI Scan
    • MRI Body Composition: Including visceral fat measurement.
    • VO2 Max Testing: With exercise prescription.
    • Advanced Lipid Testing: Including Apolipoprotein B.
    • Sex Hormone Analysis

    Our most comprehensive package, including everything in both the Advanced and Complete packages, plus:

    • Inherited Cancer Genetic Screening: Screening over 50 genes.
    • Pharmacogenomic Testing: Includes a detailed report tailored to the individual.

    Add-Ons

    Multicancer Early Detection Blood Test:
    Available as an add-on to any health screening package, this test screens for over 70 types of tumours through a simple blood test.

    Bespoke Packages

    We understand that every business is unique. Our team can design custom packages to suit a wide range of team structures, from small family-run businesses to large executive boards. Contact us to discuss a tailored solution for your company.

    4. Why Corporate Health Screenings Are Tax-Free in the UK

    Companies can provide annual health screenings for employees—including directors—entirely tax-free. This means no tax or National Insurance liability for either the employer or the employee.

    With no additional reporting requirements to HMRC, corporate health screenings are a straightforward, hassle-free benefit for businesses. The HMRC full rules for reference are here.

    5. Additional Financial Advantages of Health Screenings for Businesses

    Corporate health screenings deliver measurable business benefits:

    • Reduced Sick Days: Early detection and prevention help minimize absences, keeping operations running smoothly.
    • Boosted Productivity: Healthy employees are more focused, efficient, and engaged at work.
    • Improved Retention: Demonstrating care for employees’ well-being fosters loyalty and reduces turnover.
    • Lower Long-Term Costs: Preventative care can reduce insurance premiums and expensive medical interventions.
    • Enhanced Recruitment Appeal: Offering health benefits makes your company more attractive to top talent.

    By investing in your team’s health, you save on costs while creating a more productive and resilient workforce.

    6. Customizable Health Screening Packages for Your Business

    We can create tailored health screening packages to suit your team. Build packages for anything from a husband-and-wife duo to a corporate board.

    Our team is ready to help you design the perfect bespoke package. Reach out to us at business@coynemedical.com to get started.

    7. How to Get Started with a Tax-Free Health Screening Package

    Reach out to us and tell us more about your team—we’ll help arrange the perfect health screening packages. We can schedule initial assessments in our clinic at times that work best for your team members.

    Contact us at contact@coynemedical.com to start getting your team healthy today.

    DR LUCY HOOPER
    MB BS BSc MRCGP MA DRCOG DCH

    Lucy is a GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical. She graduated with honours from Imperial College London, trained at St Mary’s Hospital, and holds a Master’s in Medical Ethics and Law. Her clinical interests span women’s health, preventive medicine, and genomics, with a particular focus on using advanced biomarkers to build a more complete picture of long-term health.

    British Society for Genetic Medicine  ·  European Atherosclerosis Society  · 
    Independent Doctors Federation

    As seen in BBC, The Guardian, Women’s Health, The Times and Tatler

    Book a GP Consultation

    For educational purposes. This article is written by a practising GP and is intended to inform, not replace a consultation with your own doctor. It does not constitute medical advice. A note on clinical guidelines: Coyne Medical is an independent private clinic. Our approach is guided by the best available evidence, tailored to each individual. This may go beyond standard NHS or NICE guidance, which is designed for population-level care and weighted by resource constraints.

    Read More Longevity & Healthspan Guides
  • Breast Ultrasound

    Breast Ultrasound

    When we think about imaging for breasts, typically mammograms come to mind. Yet, ultrasound also has an important role to play and is commonly used. Ultrasound is usually the first-line imaging investigation for women under 40 with symptoms like new breast changes or a lump. In women aged 40 and above, ultrasound is often used in combination with mammography. Think of the two as complementary tests which have different strengths. Some things are better seen on mammography, whilst others are better seen on ultrasound. Ultrasound is particularly good at differentiating between lumps that are solid and cysts containing fluid. Ultrasound is also frequently used to accurately guide procedures in real-time. This includes removing fluid from painful cysts and taking tissue samples from breast lumps.

    Breast density, screening and imaging

    Mammography tends not to be used in younger women because they tend to have “denser” breasts. This means they have a higher proportion of normal fibroglandular tissue. This makes the mammograms look “whiter” and can hide breast pathology which also appears white. It’s a bit like trying to detect a white sticker on the background of a white wall. Your doctor may suggest additional imaging like ultrasound if mammography shows dense breasts. The use of ultrasound for dense breasts and for screening, used in some countries, is a subject of debate. It is important to be aware of the pros and cons to make an informed decision. On one hand, using ultrasound in addition to mammography can increase the chances of picking up a cancer. On the other hand, using ultrasound also increases the likelihood of picking up other benign lesions which may never have caused harm if they were not detected, but once found may need further imaging or a biopsy to confirm a benign diagnosis. So it is worth discussing with your doctor the nuances of this.

    How does it work and what happens during the ultrasound appointment?

    The same technology used to look at babies during pregnancy is used to evaluate the breasts. Unlike other imaging tests which use ionising radiation to generate images, ultrasound uses sound waves that are safe and bounce off the areas of interest to generate images. You will be asked to undress from the waist up and lie down on a couch. The doctor will put gel on a transducer to help the sound waves travel and the transducer will be placed on the skin. An image will be generated on the monitor in real-time and different images will appear as the doctor moves the transducer. The doctor will then review their images and produce a report on their findings.

    DR NEIL UPADHYAY
    MBBS BSc FRCR MRes MEd

    Neil is a Consultant Radiologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, subspecialising in breast and musculoskeletal radiology. He completed his medical degree and BSc in Management with Medical Sciences with first class honours at Imperial College London, was appointed as a Consultant Radiologist in 2014, and holds two Master’s degrees from Imperial College London, both completed with distinction.

    Book a Breast Ultrasound

    For educational purposes. This article is written by a practising GP and is intended to inform, not replace a consultation with your own doctor. It does not constitute medical advice. A note on clinical guidelines: Coyne Medical is an independent private clinic. Our approach is guided by the best available evidence, tailored to each individual. This may go beyond standard NHS or NICE guidance, which is designed for population-level care and weighted by resource constraints.

    Read More Cancer Health Guides
  • The qFIT test – the new detection test tackling Bowel Cancer

    The qFIT test – the new detection test tackling Bowel Cancer

    The qFIT test checks for bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer and the 2nd most common cause of death in the UK. This makes it a strong target for new and innovative detection technologies. Early detection is vital for potential intervention and cure with any disease. However, we still see the majority of cases not being diagnosed early due to a lack of knowledge or understanding of symptoms.

    Bowel cancer is an all-inclusive term for cancer in the large bowel or colon and the back passage or the rectum. Abnormal cells start to divide and grow in an uncontrollable way which can lead to the possibility of unwanted cells spreading to other parts of the body.

    To help minimise this progression, a simple test to help diagnose possible symptoms leading to potential intervention is the most successful tool we have in reducing these statistics. Most, but by no means all bowel cancers start off as polyps. The majority of polyps remain small and harmless. Some, however, develop into malignant cancers that can invade into the wall of the colon. The progression from harmless polyp to cancer can occur over 10 or so years. So, screening can provide an excellent tool in our armoury against cancer in this 10-year window of opportunity.

    The new qFIT (Quantitative Faecal Immunochemical Test) testing package is a tool used for primary screening for patients without symptoms such as bleeding or change in bowel habit. It is also sometimes as a management guide for patients with symptoms. The simple stool sample test does not look for cancerous cells specifically. However, it detects certain antibodies and blood in the stool that could develop into cancerous symptoms. This is used as the first line of detection to allow for further testing if needed to identify the cause. The next line of testing is usually direct visualisation of the colon with a colonoscopy.

    This new test, is now offered here at Coyne Medical. We use it as part of our health screenings and opportunistically in GP appointments for patients who are suitable. FIT Testing has been shown to detect twice as many cancers and four times as many advanced polyps as the previous test, making it the most effective point of call for early detection.

    How The Test Is Carried Out

    Fit testing is carried out on a small amount of stool. We give you a special container for the sample and detailed instructions on how to do the test. You obtain the stool sample from stool passed into the disposable container we provide you with. The stool should not come into contact with the toilet water. The qFIT test requires only one stool sample and does not need any medications to be stopped. In addition, no alterations to diet are needed. When you have done the sample it can be mailed back to the laboratory. The process the results as soon as they receive the sample. It’s important to send it back to the lab as soon as possible. This is because delayed processing of the sample has been associated with lower detection of adenomas.

    Be Symptom Aware

    Whether or not you are planning to have a qFIT test done. It is very important to be aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer. These include:

    • Tummy pain
    • Change in bowel habit
    • Unintentional weight loss
    • Bleeding from the back passage
    • Bloating of the tummy
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Fatigue, lack of energy and shortness of breath on exertion

    For people between the ages of 40-74 years, we recommend having a screening annually. In the UK and some other countries, the testing is less frequent and one study in the Netherlands did show that screening every three years resulted in the same population positivity rate. However, if you have any relevant family history, a simple concern or would like to find out more information about symptoms or the test itself, please contact us on 020 7731 3077.

    DR J HUGH COYNE
    MBBS BSc PGDip (with merit) MRCGP DRCOG DCH

    Dr Hugh Coyne is a GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical, a private preventive health clinic at 660 Fulham Road, London. He trained at Imperial College London and has been in practice for over twenty years, with a particular focus on cardiovascular risk, metabolic health, and exercise medicine. After qualifying as a GP he went on to train in sport and exercise medicine, bringing a distinctly practical approach to prevention and long-term health.

    British Association of Sports and Exercise Medicine  ·  European Atherosclerosis Society  · 
    Independent Doctors Federation

    As seen in The Independent, The Daily Mail and Tatler

    Book a Health Screening

    For educational purposes. This article is written by a practising GP and is intended to inform, not replace a consultation with your own doctor. It does not constitute medical advice. A note on clinical guidelines: Coyne Medical is an independent private clinic. Our approach is guided by the best available evidence, tailored to each individual. This may go beyond standard NHS or NICE guidance, which is designed for population-level care and weighted by resource constraints.

    Read More Cancer Health Guides