One million people have life-saving NHS Health Checks in the past year - double the previous year
More than one million people had a face-to-face NHS Health Check last year - more than double the previous year - new data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) today shows.
The NHS Health Check helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes and is currently a face-to-face check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. It can help spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia.
The new data published by OHID shows face-to-face health checks have recovered to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the efforts of local authorities and NHS staff, helping to prevent potentially deadly cardiovascular disease across the country.
OHID’s data for 2022 to 2023 shows:
2.9 million people were offered a check by local authorities - up from 1.3 million in 2021 to 2022
1.1 million checks were delivered in 2022 to 2023 - up from 500,000 in 2021 to 2022
10.2 million checks offered and 4.3 million carried out between April 2018 and March 2023, despite disruption caused by the pandemic
Cardiovascular disease is the second biggest killer in England and affects around 6.4 million people. It’s estimated that the 1.1 million checks delivered in 2022 to 2023 helped to avoid over 400 strokes and heart attacks, identified 220,000 people who would benefit from statin medication, and diagnosed 32,000 people with hypertension.
This follows the announcement last week of a new digital NHS Health Check which will be rolled out in England from spring. It will operate alongside the existing face-to-face scheme, and will deliver an additional one million checks over 4 years.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken action to understand their health and prevent potentially life-threatening conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
These mid-life MOTs are vitally important in preventing illnesses, easing pressure on the NHS and cutting waiting times - one of the government’s 5 priorities - and I want to encourage anyone who’s offered a check to come forward and take advantage of the offer.
On the eve of the NHS’s 75th birthday, it’s fantastic to see so many people had a health check last year - and even more will be achieved when the new digital check is rolled out from spring.
You can have an NHS Health Check if you’re aged 40 to 74 and you have not had a stroke, or do not already have a pre-existing health condition. If this applies to you, you can expect to receive an invite from a GP surgery or local authority for an NHS Health Check every 5 years.
Each new digital check could save an estimated 20 minutes of NHS time - potentially freeing up hundreds of thousands of appointments in primary care and helping cut NHS waiting times.
Patients will be able to access the check via a mobile phone, tablet or computer. They will complete an online questionnaire, enter height, weight, and blood pressure measurements, and the results of a blood test.
The results will be available online and direct people to personalised advice to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke, as well as advice to stop smoking and weight management support where appropriate. Referrals to GPs will only be made if further tests and treatment are needed - helping to reduce demand on GP services.