Salford taxi trade offered funded health checks and mental health training
- Perry Richardson
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Salford City Council Licensing Service and Salford Public Health have launched a new initiative to offer free Mental Health First Aid training and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) health checks to licensed taxi and private hire drivers, vehicle owners and operators.
The scheme aims to improve the wellbeing of those working in the local licensed vehicle sector, while also improving safety for the travelling public. The training is designed to help drivers recognise signs of mental health issues and provide the skills to support others and direct them to appropriate services.
Health checks provided under the programme are intended to detect early signs of heart disease and help individuals lower their risk of serious health conditions, including stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. The initiative also supports efforts to keep drivers well and able to continue working.
The NHS Health Check programme, which relaunched in Salford in April 2023, has seen significant uptake. By April 2024, 13,232 health checks were completed, reaching 20.3% of the eligible population. This performance placed Salford as the fourth highest ranked local authority in England, and the highest in both Greater Manchester and the North West.
Councillor Mishal Saeed, Executive Support Member for Social Care and Mental Health at Salford City Council, said: “As a City Council, we are fully invested in the health and wellbeing of everyone in Salford. That’s why it’s important that we support more people to live healthy lives for longer by promoting good physical and mental health.
“Taxi and private hire licensees deliver important transport services in our communities, to residents and visitors to the city, and supporting school transport. We look forward to positively engaging with licensees, providing health checks and mental health training opportunities, helping to support them in the management of their own health as well as being able to support members of the public, thereby fostering a positive and supportive environment."
