The NHS Health Check consists of a few simple tests that will give you and your GP or health professional a clearer picture of your risk of developing four common but often preventable diseases: heart disease, stroke, kidney disease or type 2 diabetes.
All the tests are simple to carry out, and there will be time to discuss the results with your GP or health professional afterwards.
You can learn more about the four diseases in Why these four diseases?
Wherever you have your NHS Health Check – your GP surgery, a local pharmacy or elsewhere – it should help you feel better informed about your health, and more able to take control of your health in the years ahead.
On the day
NHS Health Check takes around 20-30 minutes and will usually be divided into two parts:
- Questions and health tests that will give a picture of your health. You can learn more in NHS Health Check: the tests.
- A discussion of the results, including personalised advice and lifestyle support. If necessary, treatment to help you maintain or improve your health and lower your risk of these four diseases. Some people may be asked to return at a later date for their results.
Your NHS Health Check may take place at your GP surgery or other community healthcare locations, such as a local pharmacy.
Which health professional does your NHS Health Check depends on where you live and where you have the check.
If you have the check at your GP surgery, for example, your practice nurse or a healthcare assistant may do the check. If you have your check at a local pharmacy, it may be your pharmacist who does the tests.
Getting your results
The second part of an NHS Health Check is a discussion of your results with a trained healthcare professional. This may happen at the same appointment as your tests, or you may be asked to return at a later date.
During this discussion, you’ll learn more about what your results mean. You’ll talk about how your results are related to your risk of developing the four diseases. You can find out more about this in Understanding your results: risk.
You’ll be given 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 offered relevant treatments. Statins, for example, are a medication that help to control cholesterol levels. There are other medications that help to lower blood pressure when it's raised.
Whatever changes you're trying to make, there's lots of helpful information and advice on NHS Choices. You can start by reading the articles in Take action.
