The Bay of Plenty District Health Board is offering a Healthy Living Programme to its employees in an effort to keep them healthy.

The programme enables DHB employees to have regular health checks and supports them to keep an eye on blood pressure and weight management. The programme also offers career and quit smoking advice.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief financial officer Letham White has a health check with health and safety speciality nurse Cilla Wellburn.

Health and safety manager Ted Harper says their employees work in a challenging environment and the health of staff is important, not only to the organisation, but the community which relies on them.

'The Healthy Living Programme has been set up by the organisation to ensure we support our employees to keep healthy and fit, not only to support them at work, but also to ensure they have balance in their life.”

During the past 12 months, 517 health check appointments have taken place equating to 17 per cent of DHB employees.

Employees have access to trained professionals to ensure that once they complete their health check they have a comprehensive approach to managing their health for the long-term.

DHB CEO Phil Cammish says the health and wellbeing of their workforce is essential to ensure they are able to provide and maintain a healthy thriving community.

'We would also encourage our patients and residents from across the region to visit their GP or a health professional to maintain and monitor their own health and wellbeing.”