Health MOTs at NHS vaccination services, pharmacies and clinics
are set to save thousands of lives, the health service’s Chief
Operating Officer announced today.
Speaking at the NHS Confederation Conference, Amanda Pritchard
set out how the health service will make ‘every contact count’ by
rolling out opportunities for health checks at times when
patients already have other appointments.
The NHS will offer a range of targeted tests including blood
pressure, heart-rhythm and cholesterol checks when people drop in
for top-up covid jabs or flu vaccinations this autumn.
With one stroke prevented and 37 people with irregular heart
rates diagnosed for every 5,000 people offered heart checks at
vaccination centres, it is estimated that more than 1,000 strokes
could be prevented every year if everyone over 65 was offered an
annual heart rhythm check.
NHS Chief Operating Officer, Amanda Pritchard
said: “The NHS is not just a sickness service but a
health service which is why we want to make every contact count,
using every opportunity to keep people well rather than just
seeking to make them better.
“We want to offer a fully integrated care system, where we can
reach out to people in the communities they live in – not just
diagnosing and treating conditions, but working in partnership
with the public and intervening before advanced disease occurs,
keeping people healthy and well.
“The hugely successful NHS vaccine programme has given us the
opportunity to make every contact count by going out into
peoples’ communities to beat coronavirus while also catching
other killer conditions.
“The checks – like the jabs – will be available in convenient
locations in local communities including village halls, churches,
mosques and local sports centres and prevent people becoming
seriously ill.”
Across the country, pharmacists have been offering on-the-spot
high-street heart checks to identify patients at risk of
cardiovascular disease and stroke as part of an ongoing pilot -
providing clinical and lifestyle advice and, where appropriate,
referring patients on to treatment.
In Leeds dentists are offering patients blood pressure and heart
rhythm tests to help spot the early signs of heart disease and
stroke, all in a 20-minute window. And Croydon’s Vaxi Taxi has
been offering blood pressure checks, podiatry services and
hepatitis C testing at community vaccination pop-ups for homeless
people in London.
Catching major killers such as strokes and heart attacks at an
earlier stage is key to the NHS Long Term Plan’s ambitions of
saving thousands of lives each year.
Dr Deb Lowe, NHS Clinical Director for Stroke,
said: “People who have atrial fibrillation are at higher
risk of having a stroke, but through early detection their risk
can be significantly reduced with the right medication.
Incorporating health checks at vaccination sites so patients can
access them conveniently is a great initiative – ensuring every
contact counts and encouraging individuals to be aware of their
blood pressure and pulse could save lives and reduce disability
caused by stroke.”
Prevention is at the heart of the NHS Long
Term Plan. In addition to substantial commitments to tackle
obesity, alcohol and smoking, the plan includes the ambition to
prevent 150,000 strokes and heart attacks over the next ten years
by improving the treatment of high-risk conditions, such as
hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol and atrial
fibrillation.
Ends
Background:
· NHS guidance published in collaboration with the Oxford
Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) suggests that one patient
may be prevented from suffering a stroke from every 5,000 people
offered heart checks at vaccination centres. As a result, it is
estimated that more than 1,000 patients may be prevented from
suffering a stroke every year if everyone over 65 was offered an
annual rhythm check. https://www.oxfordahsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/COVID-vax-clinic-guidelines-FINAL.pdf
