England turns to digital health checks to cut GP pressure

The UK government has said it will start offering new digital health checks to older people in England next spring as an addition to in-person check-ups delivered mainly by GPs.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that each check could save 20 minutes of NHS time, relieving pressure on doctors and “potentially freeing up hundreds of thousands of primary care appointments.”

The current system of in-person health checks is being offered to people aged 40 to 74 and is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia. DHSC estimates that around 1.3 million checks are carried out each year, identifying 315,000 people living with obesity, 33,000 cases of hypertension, and preventing over 400 heart attacks and strokes.

The new digital version will be based on an online questionnaire that will ask people for details of their height and weight, blood pressure measurements, and blood test results. In a pilot carried out in Cornwall last year, patients used an at-home kit to take a blood sample and visited pharmacies or GP surgery waiting rooms for blood pressure checks.

Results from the health checks will be available to patients online and they will receive personalised advice to reduce the risk of heart attacks or stroke, as well as advice on stopping smoking and weight management if needed. Referrals to GP practices will be made if further tests and treatments are warranted.

The government reckons that its digital option will deliver an additional one million checks over four years at a time when frontline health services are under pressure. Around 15 million people in England are eligible for health checks.

“Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented every year through simple health checks, which would save lives and ease pressure on the NHS,” said Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay.

“This new digital check-up will mean people can do simple tests and get tailored advice from homes [and] is the latest example of how we are using technology to cut waiting times […] improve diagnosis and treatment.”

Other examples include a free app offering incentives, such as vouchers for shops, gym discounts, and cinema tickets for people who eat healthily and exercise, which was launched in Wolverhampton earlier this year with £3 million in government funding.

The expansion of the digital initiative has been applauded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The organisation’s medical director, Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, said it “could play an important role in helping people live healthier for longer and saving lives in the coming years, while reducing pressure on the NHS.”

A recent analysis (PDF) by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) found that there has been a 5% decline in the number of full-time employed GPs across the UK in the last five years, while demand for appointments has risen around 13% over the same period.