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Martin and colleagues must be congratulated for their hard work in seeking to assess the delivery and impact of the NHS Health Check programme.1 However, although they have identified some positive outcomes from the programme, these are, at best, marginal.
But I would not to wish to see the initiative dropped as, unlike the various national NHS Screening Programmes, it promotes a much more patient-centred and risk-oriented approach. Coverage is also higher among older people and those living in the most deprived areas. What is needed now is a careful re-assessment of the programme in order to seek to deliver better value.
Based on my own review2 I would argue that the current exclusions are too broad and the scope is too narrow. For example, individuals on treatments for high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol should also be checked. Moreover, bowel cancer screening (using FIT) or diabetes risk assessment (using HbA1c) are additional areas to consider alongside the current cardiovascular focus.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2018