New digital health check to tackle deadly heart disease

The government has today announced that a digital NHS Health Check will be rolled out across England from next spring, delivering one million checks.

Current NHS health check has helped prevent heart attacks and strokes Currently in England face-to-face checks are standard for adults aged 40 to 74. Deployed 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.

About 1.3 million health screenings are performed each year, identifying 315,000 people with obesity, 33,000 cases of high blood pressure, and preventing more than 400 heart attacks and strokes.

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

Patients will be able to access the test via mobile phone, tablet or computer. They’ll complete an online questionnaire, record height, weight and blood pressure measurements and blood test results.

The results will be available online and people will be directed to personalized advice to reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as smoking cessation advice and weight management support where appropriate. Referral to a GP will only be made if further tests and treatment are needed – helping to reduce the demand on GP services.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “This new digital check-up will mean people can take simple tests and get advice from homes, reducing pressure on GP services.

“This program is the latest example of how we are using technology to reduce waiting times, which is one of the Government’s five priorities, to improve diagnosis and treatment.”

nhs time savings

Heart disease is the second biggest killer in England and affects around 6.4 million people. new digital test Help identify 200,000 people who could benefit from statin use, prevent 30,000 cases of hypertension — persistent high blood pressure — and nearly 400 heart attacks and strokes in the first four years.

Each digital check could save an estimated 20 minutes of NHS time – potentially freeing up hundreds of thousands of appointments in primary care and helping to cut NHS waiting times.

This rollout builds on other technology initiatives being explored by the government. These include a pilot of the Better Health: Rewards app in Wolverhampton to encourage people to eat better and move more. The results of the NHS Digital Health Check trial in Cornwall will inform the rollout next spring.

The announcement, ahead of the NHS’s 75th birthday next week, is part of a plan to equip the NHS with the latest tools to keep people healthier longer, save staff time and ease pressure on services.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, said: ,This initiative will help reach more people and encourage them to get their blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked so that, where necessary, healthcare professionals can work with them to manage their conditions. It could play a vital role in helping people stay healthier longer and save lives for years to come, while reducing pressure on the NHS.

The commitment to deliver digital checks follows a recommendation from the 2021 NHS Health Checks Review, led by Professor John Deansfield CBE, who was appointed by the Secretary of State in March this year as the first Government Champion for Personal Prevention.

In his new role, Professor Deanfield is developing an ambitious new personalized prevention vision to empower people to manage their heart health, helping them to live healthy and well throughout life.

Juliette Bouverie OBE, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and one of the biggest killers. High blood pressure contributes to almost half of all stroke cases, and 500,000 people with undiagnosed atrial fibrillation are living – both conditions that are treatable.

“Blood pressure checks and pulse checks are essential parts of NHS health checks to accurately detect, treat and manage the risk of stroke in people aged 40 to 74, and prevent life-changing strokes These causative conditions can be prevented.”

Ian O’Neill, managing partner – health at TPXImpact and former director of the NHS, was more cautious. he commented, While it is positive for the government to introduce digital health checks for early detection of health problems and reduce pressure on GPs, the main issue for primary care will remain staff shortages. Increasing access without increasing capacity can do more harm than good.

“Unless the government can make their role more attractive, including providing better technology to make their jobs easier and improve the quality of care they can provide, it is likely that these steps will Despite this, the pressure on primary care will remain.”