- 2.9 million NHS Health Checks offered and 1.1 million checks
carried out in 2022/23 – more than doubling activity in 2021/22
- 1.1 million checks estimated to have prevented more than 400
heart attacks and strokes and identified 220,000 people who would
benefit from statins
- Government announced last week the rollout of a new digital
health check from spring which will deliver more than one million
checks in four years
More than one million people had a face-to-face NHS Health Check
last year – more than double the previous year - shows new data
published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
[OHID] today [Tuesday 4 June].
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 2022/23 shows:
- 2.9 million people were offered a check by local authorities
- up from 1.3 million in 2021/22
- 1.1 million checks were delivered in 2022/23 - up from
500,000 in 2021/22
- 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
1.1m checks delivered in 2022/23 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 four years.
Health and Social Care Secretary 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 five 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.
ENDS
Notes to Eds:
- OHID’s data on face-to-face health check is here: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/nhs-health-check-detailed
- The government announced last week the roll out of a national
digital NHS Health Check from spring: New digital health check to
tackle deadly cardiovascular disease - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
