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NHS Health Checks

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Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death globally, with an estimated 17.7 million people having died from CVD conditions in 2015, representing 31% of all global deaths. It is also a leading cause of disability and death in the UK, affecting around 7 million people and being responsible for 1 in 4 premature deaths in the UK, specifically 26% of all deaths in England in 2015.

An estimated 50% to 80% of CVD cases are caused by modifiable and preventable risk factors, including: smoking, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, harmful drinking, poor diet and physical inactivity. These risk factors are greater in lower socioeconomic groups, making CVD one of the conditions most strongly associated with health inequalities. As a result, premature death rates from CVD in the most deprived 10% of the population are almost twice as high as rates in the least deprived 10%.1

The NHS Health Check programme aims to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74, who has not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions, will be invited (once every five years) to have a check to assess their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and will be given support and advice to help them reduce or manage that risk.2

Since April 2019, over 9.3 million people (58.2% of the expected eligible population) have been offered an NHS Health Check, and more importantly, 3.8 million people have received a check. Uptake has remained relatively stable, with the national rate currently at 24%. However, this means that over half of all people invited do not take up the offer.

Facts and figures

Note: During the Covid-19 pandemic the NHS Health Check programme was paused and fully resumed in 2022. This can be seen in the lower numbers of patients invited and health checks completed over the period.

Between quarter 1 2019/20 and quarter 2 2023/24, 5 year cumulative data shows that almost 37,000 (88.5%) of eligible people aged 40-74 in Blackpool have been offered an NHS Health Check compared to 58.2% nationally.  34.7% of those who were offered a Health Check have received one (compared to 23.5% nationally). Figure 2 shows only 11.5% of the eligible population have not yet been invited, however, like England more than half of those invited have yet to take up the offer.

Figure 1: Cumulative trend in proportion of the eligible population offered and receiving and NHS Health Check, Blackpool and England: Q1 2019/20 to Q2 2023/24

Fig1-Cumulative trend-Bpl-Eng-23-24
 Source: OHID, NHS Health Check Profile

Figure 2: Cumulative 5-year NHS Health check status as at Q2 2023/25, proportion of eligible population offered and received a health check, Blackpool and England

Fig-2-Cumulative-HC-status as at Q2 2324
 Source: OHID, NHS Health Check Profile

Figure 3 clearly shows the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the suspension / reduction of health checks during this period. While a few health checks were done opportunistically, the routine sending out of invitations was postponed. NHS Health Checks were recognised as having a clear role in the UK Goverment's Covid-19 Recovery Strategy, and as of Autumn 2021 the programme restarted.

Figure 3: Annual trend in proportion of the eligible population offered and receiving and NHS Health Check, Blackpool and England: 2013/14 to 2022/23

Fig3-Annual Trend in HCs_1314-2223Source: OHID, NHS Health Check Profile

    • In 2022/23, 14,856 eligible people aged 40-74 in Blackpool were invited for a Health Check
    • 5,542 people received a health check in the same period. This was 13.7% of the eligible population, a level significantly higher than the national average of 7.2%
    • 37.3% of those invited took up the chance to have the check, slightly lower than the England average of 38.9%

Figure 4: Proportion of people aged 40-74 who have been invited for and who have received an NHS Health Check in 2022/23, Blackpool compared to the North West and England

Fig4-HCs in 2022-23
 Source: OHID, NHS Health Check Profile

National and local guidance

A collaborative resource which brings together national and local resources aimed to support those involved in commissioning and providing the NHS Health Check programme.

OHID’s NHS Health Check Programme review (Dec 2021) offers advice on how the NHS Health Check programme can evolve over the next 10 years to deliver greater benefits for the public.

 


[1] UKHSA, Health Matters: NHS Health Check - A world leading CVD prevention programme, January 2018

[2] OHID, NHS Health Check Profile