What is an NHS Health Check?
How do I get an NHS Health Check?
Why should I get checked?
What lifestyle changes can I make?
What happened at an NHS Health Check?
How do I prepare for my NHS Health Check?
But if you have a booked appointment for your NHS Health Check, it’s worth checking in advance to ask whether you need to do anything to prepare. Your invitation letter should give you all the information you need.
You may be given extra tests in addition to the ones described below, these maybe done by your health checker or referred back to your GP. If any further tests are required your health checker will discuss these with you.
On the day of your NHS Health Check
Your NHS Health Check shouldn’t last more than half an hour. During the NHS Health Check you’ll:
- be asked questions and have health tests that will give a picture of your health
- discuss the results, including personalised advice and lifestyle support. If necessary, you’ll be offered treatment to help you maintain or improve your health and lower your risk of vascular conditions. Some people may be asked to return at a later date for their results
- if you’re aged between 65 and 74, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia, and you’ll be made aware of memory services nearby
All the tests are simple to carry out, and there will be time to discuss the results with your health checker afterwards.
Questions about you and your health
Your medical history and that of your close relations, plus the choices you make about the way you live your life both play a role in deciding what your level of vascular risk is.
That’s why your NHS Health Check will involve a brief personal history and a review of some key personal details. This will involve questions about your:
- age: older people are at an increased risk
- ethnicity: some ethnic groups, for example, people from south Asian and African-Caribbean backgrounds, are at an increased risk
- smoking status: smokers are at increased risk
- family history: if there’s a history of these diseases in your family, then you’re at an increased risk
- physical activity: people who get little or no exercise are at an increased risk
You will also complete a questionnaire about the amount of alcohol you drink, as drinking above recommended limits increases your risk of both vascular and liver disease. There are 10 questions and it only takes around three minutes to do.
The health tests
As part of the NHS Health Check, your healthcare professional will need to do at least three simple and routine health tests. These tests are nothing to worry about, but are crucial for properly understanding your “heart age”.
The cholesterol test
It’s vital that we have enough cholesterol for our bodies to work properly, but evidence strongly indicates that too much cholesterol and too much bad cholesterol can increase the risk of vascular diseases.
Cholesterol can build up in the walls of the blood vessels and stop or slow the flow of blood to your heart, brain and the rest of your body.
At an NHS Health Check, your cholesterol will be tested to see whether it is too high. Your health professional will take a sample of blood from you by pricking your finger. You won’t need to fast in advance of this blood test.
Afterwards, your healthcare professional will discuss your cholesterol result. If necessary, you’ll be offered advice and support to help you achieve a healthy level of cholesterol.
The blood pressure test
This means that having high blood pressure is a big problem, because it increases the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
High blood pressure is common. Around 30% of adults in England have it but many don’t know they do as it often presents no symptoms.
During an NHS Health Check, your blood pressure will be tested. Your health checker will use a cuff that fits around your upper arm and is inflated so that it becomes tight.
The test is quick and painless, and most people will have experienced it before.
If your blood pressure is found to be high, you will be referred for a blood test to check the function of your kidneys. You may also be offered a test to check your risk of developing diabetes.
Body mass index (BMI)
Your BMI matters because people with a high BMI are at greater risk of a range of serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.
At your NHS Health Check, your height will be measured and you’ll be weighed. These measurements will be used to calculate your BMI.
Your waist circumference will also be measured using a tape measure.
Diabetes risk assessment
Your health professional will take your personal history and blood pressure and BMI test results into account to assess whether you’re at an increased risk of developing diabetes.
If you are found to be at risk of type 2 diabetes, you will be offered further tests to check the level of sugar in your blood (either a “finger-prick” test or a blood sample). If your blood sugar is high, you will then need to go on for further testing to establish if you have diabetes.
Getting your NHS Health Check results
The second part of an NHS Health Check is a discussion of your results with a Health Checker. This will happen at the same appointment as your tests.
Your results will be given to you as an overall risk score, telling you how likely you are to get heart disease in future. The results from each test will also be broken down so that you know which areas you need to take action to improve and what support is available to help you make these changes.
Your health checker will give you personalised advice and lifestyle support to help you lower your risk and maintain or improve your vascular health. The best action for you will depend on your results. You may receive advice on how to get more physical activity into your daily routine, or how to eat a healthier diet.
If you’re at high risk, you may be referred back to your GP to discuss relevant treatments, such as cholesterol or blood pressure medication.