READ MORE: Crisis in casualty: A&E patients waiting 10 days to be admittedOnly two out of every five adults called in for an 'NHS Health Check' actually took up the invitation in the latest blow to the multi-million scheme GPs have labelled 'a waste of time and money'.
They are then given general advice such as improving diet and exercise and, if needed, referred to specialist services like smoking cessation. The latest data on the scheme, for the 2023/24 financial year, shows it is also becoming increasingly unpopular with patients. He said that while in principle the NHS checks were looking at the right things and provided an opportunity to reach out to some patients, the execution of what the NHS did with that data, such as issuing general health advice, was flawed.
Dr Eggitt said part of the problem was that GPs simply didn't have the time to do these type of checks proactively as part of routine care. 'GPs have always known these checks were a waste of time that should be spent treating people who are actually sick,' she told The Times. In comments to the Health Service Journal she said that the checks identified 'risk factors not diseases' which could inevitably be 'abnormalities' that lead to patients being unnecessarily prescribed drugs or causing worry.
Joanne Whitmore, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation said: 'It’s very concerning to see a decline in the number of people attending their NHS health checks.' 'The decline in uptake could be down to time constraints, challenges in contacting or accessing the local GP practice, anxieties around what may be identified or simply a lack of awareness about the long-term health benefits of attendance,' she said.
Despite criticisms, and declining uptake, the programme has continued to be rolled out year after year as GP services have continued to buckle under patient demand.
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