Who is the NHS Health Check for?
The check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who have not had a check in the last 3 years or do not have any of the following pre-existing conditions:
- heart disease
- chronic kidney disease
- diabetes
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- atrial fibrillation
- transient ischaemic attack
- inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia)
- heart failure
- peripheral arterial disease
- stroke
- currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
- previous checks have found that you have a 20% or higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years
You should have regular check-ups if you have one of these conditions. Your Chronic Disease Management team will be able to give you more information about this.
How do I get an NHS Health Check?
If you’re aged 40 to 74 and do not have a pre-existing health condition, you may be invited to an NHS Health Check.
If you think you are eligible but have not been invited, contact us to see if you are eligible and get booked in.
What happens at an NHS Health Check?
Your NHS Health Check will be done by a member of our Nursing Team.
The check takes about 20 minutes and usually includes:
- measuring your height and weight
- measuring your waist
- a blood pressure check
- a blood test including cholesterol test, and blood sugar level test.
You’ll also be asked some questions about your health including:
- whether any of your close relatives have had any medical conditions
- if you smoke, and how much
- if you drink alcohol, and how much
- how much physical activity you do
Your NHS Health Check results
The clinician will often ask you if you would like to contacted about your results – if there are any concerns you will be booked a follow up appointment to discuss, but if these are normal you don’t always require a follow up appointment.
Our Nursing Team will give advice and follow-up support on giving up smoking, losing weight, lowering your cholesterol levels and following a healthy lifestyle.
You’ll be given your cardiovascular risk score of developing a heart or circulation problem, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes or kidney disease, over the next 10 years. Everybody’s cardiovascular risk rises with age, so the next time you have an NHS Health Check your risk score may be higher, even if your test results are the same.
There are some things about your risk which you cannot change, such as your age, ethnicity and family history. But the most important factors in your risk score (such as smoking, your cholesterol level and blood pressure) can be changed.
Please click the link below for more information.