Wolverhampton to pilot new health app

The City of Wolverhampton has been chosen to pilot a new health app that rewards healthy behaviours through incentives.

Wolverhampton residents, from Monday 29th November, are being offered the chance to register their interest and sign up for this new app by HeadsUp Systems.

Wolverhampton was chosen due to its large population size, as well as a third of residents being classed as physically inactive. The app will offer incentives such as vouchers, theme park passes and cinema tickets for those who eat more fruit and vegetables and exercise more.

Those that want to participate in the pilot scheme will be given wrist-worn devices and access to the app which will generate personalised health recommendations, such as increasing step count. Users can then collect points and cash in for rewards such as clothes or food vouchers.

The pilot scheme is part of the Office for Health Improve and Disparities initiative to use digital technology to improve physical health, as well as prevent health conditions. The scheme is part of a £100 million package of government support to help those living with obesity move towards a healthier weight and will launch in early 2022, running for six months.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said about the scheme: ‘This pilot is an exciting opportunity to see how we can empower people to make healthy changes to their lifestyle and I would encourage all adults in Wolverhampton to come forward and register their interest.

‘Taking part will help us better understand how rewards can help motivate people to make small adjustments to their daily lives that will have a lasting positive impact on their health.

‘I want to make it easier for people to make healthy choices and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is driving forward our levelling up agenda for health across the country.’

Cllr Ian Brookfield, the Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, added: ‘We are working hard to improve the overall health of everyone in Wolverhampton by providing innovative solutions which can help our residents get more active.

‘We are already making significant progress in tackling physical inactivity, improving infrastructure and making environmental changes to enable people to be more active, and we are delighted to be working with the Department for Health and Social Care and HeadUp on this important pilot programme to see whether offering incentives can help people make positive changes to improve their health and wellbeing.’