MP calls for 'Body, Bedroom, Brain' health checks in Dudley to be made permanent

A Black Country MP has called for a ‘men’s MOT’ service to become a permanent fixture.

Sonia Kumar praised the ‘Body, Bedroom, Brain’ health check for men which was held at St Thomas and St Luke’s Church in Dudley on Friday (September 18).

The scheme, led by Dr Jeevan Swamy, included checks on prostate health, diabetes and heart disease, as well as smoking and alcohol assessments, mental-health screening, and advice on sexual health concerns.

Miss Kumar, who helped secure the church as the pilot venue, urged NHS leaders to make it a permanent service as part of her Health on the High Street campaign

Miss Kumar said the church, known locally as Top Church, was an accessible and trusted community venue and made the introductions that helped connect the project’s organisers with the church.

She has been calling for more health services to be brought into the town centre as a way of reviving the high street.

Miss Kumar said this was particularly important for black and Asian men, those living in more deprived communities and men who are less likely to attend routine health checks.

Clinics could be offered during evenings and weekends at accessible community locations, including town-centre premises, football settings, churches, temples and gurdwaras. This approach would help overcome barriers including working hours, stigma, trust and difficulty accessing conventional services.

Over an initial 12-month programme, the ambition would be to engage approximately 800 men and complete at least 600 full health assessments.

The expected benefits include earlier identification of diabetes and cardiovascular risk, more timely prostate-cancer referrals and improved recognition of mental-health and sexual-health needs.

Dr Swamy said: “Body, bedroom, brain. The MOT every man needs, but is too afraid to book.

“We are hoping that the conversations that start here allow men to take control of their health.”

Miss Kumar said: “Men are too often diagnosed late because they have not accessed routine health checks or do not feel that existing services are designed around their lives.

“The Men’s MOT brings different checks together in one accessible community setting, helping identify risks earlier and connecting people quickly with the right support.

“When I heard about this proposal, I immediately felt that Top Church would provide an ideal town-centre location. I was pleased to suggest the venue and make the introductions that helped bring the organisers and the church together.

“The pilot is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate what this approach can achieve, but it must not be treated as a one-off event. I am calling on the Black Country Integrated Care Board to work with Dr Swamy and local partners to make the Men’s MOT a permanent and properly supported service for Dudley.

“This is exactly what my Health on the High Street campaign is about: bringing vital NHS services closer to people, focusing on prevention and using accessible locations in the heart of our town.”

She said putting healthcare into established community spaces meant it could reach people who might otherwise be missed, tackle deep-rooted inequalities and prevent serious conditions from going undiagnosed.

“I want Dudley to lead the way in showing how convenient, community-based healthcare can improve lives while reducing pressure on GPs and hospitals.”

Miss Kumar, a former NHS physiotherapist, has called for more health services in the high street in parliament, and has worked with NHS leaders and property owners to explore how vacant and community-based town-centre spaces could support more convenient healthcare while contributing to Dudley’s regeneration.

The Men’s MOT model supports the NHS’s wider ambitions to move care from hospitals into communities, shift the focus from treatment to prevention and tackle health inequalities through targeted outreach.

Its proposed evaluation would monitor participation by ethnicity and deprivation, health conditions identified, the quality of onward referrals, patient experiences and potential savings achieved through earlier intervention.