The NHS Health Check programme is for adults in England aged between 40 and 74. If you're invited for an NHS Health Check you'll be asked a set of standard questions and offered a series of routine tests that will help identify your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of dementia.
You can find out more about the importance of those diseases in Why these conditions?
Why do I need an NHS Health Check?
Everyone has a chance of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes or certain types of dementia. The NHS Health Check appointment will help you and your GP or health professional to identify your risk earlier.
You'll then be given advice on what action you can take to lower your risk and improve your chances of a healthier life. This could include suggestions on small changes to your diet or how much exercise you take if your risk is low or moderate. If you are at higher risk, you might be offered things like medicines to control your blood pressure, along with help to take action like losing weight or stopping smoking.
How do I get an NHS Health Check?
If you're aged between 40 and 74 and haven't already been diagnosed with vascular disease or treated for certain risk factors such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, you will be invited for your check every five years. From April 2013, responsibility for the NHS Health Check programme moved to your local authority, which will invite everyone who is eligible over a five-year rolling cycle.
If you're concerned about your health, don't wait until your NHS Health Check to do something about it. Go to your GP as you would normally.
Adults who have already been diagnosed with any of the conditions mentioned won't be invited for the check, and their condition will continue to be managed as usual. All of the standard tests in the NHS Health Check will already be covered as part of the management of that condition.
Where will my NHS Health Check happen?
This will vary across the country. If you’re registered with a GP, you may be invited for the check by letter, or you may be offered the check when you're at your GP for another reason. If you’re not registered with a GP, it's a good idea to register now. You can find your local GP surgery in Find and choose services.
Additionally, you may be offered the NHS Health Check in local pharmacies or other suitable and accessible locations in your community. Your local authority will decide on the most suitable location for you and it will give you the details when it invites you for your check.
What happens at my NHS Health Check?
You will be asked some standard questions about your family medical history and your lifestyle along with a few straightforward health tests, followed by a discussion of your results. Learn more in What happens at NHS Health Check?
What happens after my check?
Following your first check, you'll be invited for another check every five years until you're over 74. If you're diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or have a stroke after your first or any subsequent NHS Health Check, your condition will be managed as usual and there will be no need for further checks. If you are also diagnosed with conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, these will also be managed by your GP and therefore you won't be required to attend the NHS Health Check programme.
If your GP offers you any medical treatments after your NHS Health Check, such as medicines to lower your blood pressure, your progress on those medicines will be monitored by your GP.
