New digital health check to tackle deadly cardiovascular disease

A Digital NHS Health Check that will deliver one million checks is to be rolled out across England from next spring, the government has announced today.

The current NHS Health Check has helped to prevent heart attacks and strokes and is currently a face-to-face check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. Commissioned by local authorities and largely delivered through GP surgeries, it can help spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia.

Around 1.3 million health checks are delivered each year, identifying 315,000 people living with obesity, 33,000 cases of hypertension and preventing over 400 heart attacks and strokes.

From spring 2024 the new digital check will operate alongside the existing in-person NHS Health Check – and is expected to deliver an additional one million checks over four years, while easing pressure on GP surgeries. 

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.

Read on digitalhealth.net