Around 100 NHS pharmacies in England
will begin offering life-saving cholesterol check-ups this
autumn, as part of an NHS drive to reduce heart disease and
stroke deaths by a quarter over the next decade.
People aged 40 to 84 who are not
pregnant and have not had a blood test in the past year will be
eligible to walk into participating pharmacies for the quick
pin-prick test.
The test will analyse a person's
cholesterol profile in just seven minutes, with a pharmacist
prescriber then able to provide lifestyle advice and determine
whether any treatment is needed. Patients will receive a copy of
their results by email.
Eligible people will also be offered a
blood pressure check as part of a clinical consultation with a
pharmacist prescriber.
The NHS pilot will run until spring
2027.
The national rollout follows a
successful smaller pilot in north London, run by Barts Health NHS
Trust in collaboration with UCLPartners and HEART UK.
It tested 2,493 patients at 61
community pharmacies between January 2025 and March 2026, with 19
per cent found to be suitable for pharmacological intervention
and 88 people started on statins.
David Webb, chief
pharmaceutical officer for
England, said:
Your local pharmacy can be a vital
first line of defence against serious illness.
By making it easier for people to get
a quick and convenient cholesterol health check on their local
high street, we can spot ticking time bombs earlier, helping
people take action, and prevent heart attacks and strokes before
they happen.
This is the latest in a series of
initiatives involving pharmacies in delivering
care previously only offered in GP surgeries as
part of the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to where
people live.
Health Minister,
said:
"This programme is exactly the type of innovation we want to see
across the NHS.
"By making it possible to get a cholesterol check in just seven
minutes at a local pharmacy, we're making it easier for people to
spot potential problems earlier and take action to protect their
health.
"Early detection can help prevent serious conditions such as
heart attacks and strokes, helping people stay healthier for
longer while reducing pressure on NHS services."
Dr Rani Khatib, NHS England's
National Specialty Advisor for Cardiovascular Disease
Prevention, said:
"Everyone should strive to be aware of
the most common risk factors including high cholesterol and blood
pressure and 'know their numbers'. This initiative will help
people manage their risk factors earlier and reduce their risk of
having heart attacks or strokes."
Dr Sotiris Antoniou,
Divisional Director for Clinical Services at Barts Health NHS
Trust and clinical lead for the
initiative, said:
This national programme builds on our
experience of developing a robust, quality-assured model for
point-of-care testing in community pharmacy.
By scaling this approach across
England, we can support pharmacists to identify cardiovascular
risk earlier and, importantly, act on the results through timely
advice and treatment. This has the potential to improve outcomes
and reduce health inequalities, particularly in communities where
the burden of cardiovascular disease is
greatest.
Chris Laing, CEO,
UCLPartners, said:
We're committed to helping proven
innovations reach and benefit more patients so it's great to see
this initiative go from north London to pharmacies across
England.
Our evidence showed that one in five people tested in
north London were found to be at high risk of heart attack or
stroke over the next 10 years. By detecting risk earlier,
pharmacies were able to offer lifestyle advice or refer people to
a GP for treatment sooner - benefits that can now be replicated
for people across England."
