Yahoo News NHS Health Check: What is the 'midlife MOT' for over-40s?
Existing NHS health checks take place face-to-face with a GP but the digital NHS health checks, dubbed the ‘midlife MOT’, are intended to ease the burden on the NHS as well as helping to prevent disease.
A free blood test is to be sent out to people over 40 in England in a drive to reduce obesity and heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is the second biggest killer in England, affecting around 6.4 million people.
With NHS waiting lists reaching record highs, the government are hoping home kits can help prevent serious diseases and deaths, while each check will save 20 minutes of NHS time.
Health secretary Steve Barclay said: “Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented every year through simple health checks, which could save lives and ease pressure on the NHS.
“This new digital check-up will mean people can do simple tests and get tailored advice from homes while reducing pressure on GP services.”
What’s included in the NHS Health Check?
Existing NHS health checks take place face-to-face with a GP but the digital NHS health checks, dubbed the ‘midlife MOT’, are intended to ease the burden on the NHS as well as helping to prevent disease.
The check will include a home blood test that will check cholesterol levels.
An online health questionnaire will also be included with the tests, which will cover details such as weight, height, diet, alcohol intake and exercise levels.
The online questionnaire will be available via phone, tablet or computer.
People sent the tests will also be asked to check their blood pressure at a pharmacy.
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How will patients see their results?
Results will be made available online, according to the government.
Who is eligible for the tests?
Anyone in England who is aged between 40 and 74 in spring next year will be sent the tests.
About 15 million people will be eligible, with around one million online checks expected to be carried out over the next four years.
How will the tests help patients?
Help will be made available to anyone showing early signs of issues such as diabetes or heart disease, as well as referrals to weight-loss clinics or medication.
The government says the new digital check will help to identify 200,000 people who could benefit from the use of statins, 30,000 cases of hypertension and prevent around 400 heart attacks and strokes over the first four years.
What are the figures on obesity and heart disease?
Recent government figures show that around three quarters of those aged between 45 and 74 were overweight or obese.
Trends showed that obesity levels increased from 15% in 1993 to 28% in 2019, which can cause cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
The British Heart Foundation also say that there are 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart or circulatory disease, with 260 hospital admissions a day as a result of a heart attack.
Heart and circulatory diseases cause around a quarter of all deaths in the UK – more than 160,000 deaths each year, or 460 every day.
