How Does Corporate Health Screening Work for Employers?
Corporate health screening gives employers a planned way to check the musculoskeletal health of their staff. At ScanAlign, standing EOS imaging in London, employees are scanned while standing upright. This way, the alignment of the spine and legs is checked while the body carries its own weight. The employer receives combined, anonymised data. Each employee receives their own confidential report.
Key points
- Standing whole-body imaging shows alignment problems that scans done lying down can miss.
- Every employee gives their own informed consent before being scanned.
- Employers receive only anonymised, combined reports, never individual results.
- EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less.
- Screening suits jobs that are physically demanding or involve long hours of sitting.
What is included in a corporate EOS screening programme?
A corporate screening programme at ScanAlign includes a full standing EOS scan for each employee who takes part. It also includes an assessment led by a specialist radiographer and a detailed alignment report. The scan captures the whole body, from head to feet, in one upright image. This gives a complete picture of the curve of the spine, the balance of the pelvis, the shape of the hips and the alignment of the legs.
If the scan points to a concern, the employee can be guided to the right specialist. ScanAlign is a diagnostic imaging clinic, so we do not provide treatment ourselves.
Why does standing imaging matter for workplace health checks?
Standing imaging matters because the body behaves differently under gravity. When someone lies down for a normal X-ray, CT scan or MRI, the pull of gravity is taken away and the muscles relax. This can hide alignment problems that are clear when the person stands and carries their own weight.
The body is a connected chain from the feet to the head. A tilt at the pelvis can shift the spine, change how the knees move and alter how someone stands and moves. At work, these hidden imbalances can contribute to long-term musculoskeletal pain, more time off work and lower productivity. A standing scan shows the whole picture in one image.
How do employers book corporate health screening with ScanAlign?
Employers can set up a screening programme in four simple steps. If you manage a team or an occupational health programme, you can register as a referring organisation to get started.
Contact us to talk about the size of your workforce, their roles and your screening goals. We will explain what EOS imaging covers and help you decide if it suits your needs.
We agree the number of scans, the dates for scanning and the report format. The price for patients travelling from abroad is confirmed during the free video consultation. Group bookings are managed centrally, so your staff do not have to arrange anything one by one.
Each employee gives their own informed consent before their scan. Scans take place at our clinic at 19 Harley Street, London. The scan itself is quick, painless and non-invasive.
Each employee receives their own confidential report. The employer receives a combined, anonymised summary of trends across the group.
How are employee consent and data privacy handled?
Employee consent and data privacy are at the heart of every corporate screening programme. EOS uses ionising radiation, although about 90% less than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. Because of this, every scan must be clinically justified under the UK's IRMER rules (the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations). Employees are never pressured to take part. Taking part is always voluntary.
- A full explanation of the scan before giving consent
- Their own confidential alignment report
- Guidance on next steps if a concern is found
- The right to say no without any consequence
- Individual scan images
- Named health data for any employee
- Information about who said no
- Any data that could identify individuals
Combined reports show patterns across the workforce, such as the share of participants with notable alignment findings, without naming anyone. This helps employers plan wellbeing programmes, ergonomic changes or occupational health referrals without breaking confidentiality.
Note: The justification and data privacy wording for your programme will be reviewed and signed off before any scans take place.
Which employers benefit most from musculoskeletal screening?
Any employer with a duty of care for staff physical wellbeing can benefit. The strongest case is in industries where time off for musculoskeletal problems has a measurable impact. Manual handling jobs, warehouse and logistics teams, construction crews and professional sports organisations all see high rates of back, hip and knee complaints. So do companies with large office-based teams, where long hours of sitting contribute to postural strain.
Corporate health screening can also support return-to-work programmes. It gives a clear starting record of alignment before and after a period of absence. It helps occupational health teams make informed referral decisions based on objective imaging, not on symptoms alone. See who our scan is suitable for to understand general eligibility.
When MRI might be the better tool: EOS is excellent at showing bones, joints and whole-body alignment under load. If your screening programme needs to check soft tissue, spinal discs or nerve compression, MRI is usually the better option. We are happy to advise which approach suits your workforce goals.
How does EOS compare with other employee screening methods?
EOS is not the only imaging option. But it offers a mix of low radiation, weight-bearing position and whole-body coverage that standard methods do not match.
For any employee with symptoms, it is worth getting a detailed diagnosis before starting treatment or changing the current one. Knowing whether the cause sits in the pelvis, the legs or the spine changes what will actually help.
| Feature | EOS (standing) | Standard X-ray | MRI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Standing, weight-bearing | Usually standing (one area) | Lying down |
| Coverage | Head to feet in one image | One area per exposure | One area per session |
| Radiation | About 90% less than standard X-ray | Standard dose | None (magnetic field) |
| Best for | Alignment, posture, joint shape | Fractures, single-joint checks | Soft tissue, discs, nerves |
| Scan time | Quick, one standing image | Quick | Longer (often 20-40 minutes) |
Frequently asked questions about corporate health screening
Yes. Taking part is always voluntary. Employees must give informed consent before any scan. No one should be pressured to take part, and the employer will not be told who said no.
No. Employers receive only anonymised, combined data. Each employee receives their own confidential report directly.
EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. This makes it well suited to screening healthy employees.
IRMER stands for the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations, which apply in the UK. They require every medical exposure to radiation to be clinically justified. For corporate screening, this means there must be a valid reason for scanning each participant. We handle this as part of the programme design.
All scans take place at our clinic at 19 Harley Street, London. The EOS machine is fixed in place, so scanning at your workplace is not available at present.
No referral from a doctor is needed. Employers can arrange screening directly. Each employee still goes through their own consent and eligibility check before being scanned.
This depends on the size of the group and how the schedule is arranged. We will agree a realistic schedule during programme design, so your team faces as little disruption as possible.
The employee receives their findings in a confidential report with guidance on next steps. This may include seeing their own doctor or a specialist. ScanAlign provides diagnostic imaging only, not treatment.
The price for patients travelling from abroad is confirmed during the free video consultation. Please enquire about corporate screening to talk it through.
EOS is designed for bones, joints and whole-body alignment. For soft-tissue concerns such as slipped (herniated) discs or nerve compression, MRI is usually the better tool. We can advise on the right approach for your programme.
Ready to explore screening for your team?
Talk to us about how standing EOS imaging could support your staff wellbeing programme. No obligation, no pressure.
Enquire about corporate screeningWritten by Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer)
Sources
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders statistics in Great Britain, 2023. hse.gov.uk
- Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IRMER). UK Statutory Instruments. legislation.gov.uk
- Deschênes S, et al. EOS imaging system: a systematic review of the literature. European Journal of Radiology, 2010;73(2):382-390.
This page is general information and not a diagnosis.
ScanAlign is the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd and operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence.