Health Checks

NHS health checks are for adults between the ages of 40 and 74. As we get older we have a higher risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, kidney disease or stroke. A health check can help find way to lower the risk.

Can I have an NHS Health Check?

You are eligible for a health check if you do not have any of the following conditions:

  • heart disease
  • chronic kidney disease
  • diabetes
  • high blood pressure (hypertension)
  • atrial fibrillation
  • transient ischaemic attack
  • inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia) 
  • heart failure
  • peripheral arterial disease 
  • stroke
  • currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
  • previous checks have found that you have a 20% or higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years

How does an NHS Health Check work?

You will have two separate appointments. The first appointment will be for a blood test and the second appointment to discuss the results. These can be booked with the reception team.

Care Navigators

Our GP Reception Team are your Care Navigators

Help us help you When you need it

Specially trained to help you get the right care from the right healthcare professional.

The Care Navigator might suggest other professionals that could help you better such as:

  • Wellbeing Service
  • Pharmacy
  • Psychological Services
  • Nurse
  • Support Groups

When booking your appointment, we’ll:

  • Ask discreet questions about your needs in strict confidence
  • Book you an appointment with the right member of our team
  • Make sure you get the appropriate medical care
  • Help you to be seen more quickly

Screening programmes

Antenatal and Newborn Screening

Most of the screening services are carried out within maternity services.  Those that are carried out partly within the GP Practice are;

  • The NIPE examination of the baby at 6 – 8 weeks
  • A course of immunisation against Hepatitis B for the baby if the mother is found to have chronic or acute Hepatitis B during an ante-natal IDP screening blood test

The optimum timeline for the screening programme is here.  Your child’s vaccination programme will be linked in with the 6 – 8 week check.

For more information on Newborn and Antenatal ScreeningScreening Tests for you and your Baby – GOV.uk

Diabetic Eye Screening

Diabetic Eye Screening is offered to people with diabetes from the age of 12.  If you are a new diabetic this will be offered to you at your first appointment with the Practice Nurse.

  • Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the most common causes of sight loss in people of working age
  • It may not cause symptoms until it is quite advances which is why screening is important
  • All people with Diabetes (Types 1 and 2) are at risk of getting diabetic retinopathy
  • Screening is an effective way of detecting the condition as early as possible

For more information on Diabetic Eye ScreeningDiabetic Eye Screening Programme – GOV.uk

Cervical Screening

Women are invited shortly before they turn 25 and then routinely invited every 3 years until the age of 49 and then every 5 years from age 50 – 64.  After receiving your invitation for screening you can book an appointment with our Practice Nurse at Newton Drive Health Centre who can take your sample.  Your sample taker will be female.  If you have any concerns or questions before booking your screening appointment you can ask for an obligation free pre-smear appointment to discuss the procedure and answer any questions that you may have.

  • Cervical Screening saves around 4500 lives per year by offering healthy women a test to detect abnormalities in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer
  • Screening is carried out in primary care, at the practice, or at a community sexual health clinic
  • All screening samples in Lancashire are sent to Manchester Cytology Centre and the recall programme is provided by Primary Care Support Services
  • High risk HPV causes changes in the cells of the cervix creating abnormalities, which can develop into cancer.  HPV testing is now included in the cervical screening programme.

For more information on Cervical ScreeningCervical Screening Programme – GOV.uk

Breast Screening

The NHS Breast Screening Programme provides free breast screening every three years for all women aged 50-70 years old and over.  The programme is a rolling one which invites women from GP Practices in turn, not every woman receives an invitation as soon as she is 50. But they will receive their first invite before her 53rd birthday.

  • Breast Cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK.
  • Screening saves lives from Breast Cancer – lives are saved because cancers are diagnosed and treated earlier than they would have been without screening
  • Breast screening uses an X-Ray test called a Mammogram to the the breast for signs of cancer
  • The screening takes place on mobile screening units located in the local community

For more information on Breast ScreeningBreast Screening Programme – GOV.uk

Bowel Cancer Screening

The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) aims to detect polyps and bowel cancer at an early stage, where treatment is likely to be more effective.  Survival rates are much higher for those diagnosed through the screening route.  The programme is aimed at men and women aged 60 to 74 years of age who are invited to take part every 2 years.

If you have previously not responded to a screening invite you can self-refer by calling 0800 707 6060.

For more information on Bowel Cancer ScreeningBowel Cancer Screening – GOV.uk

AAA Screening (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)

This screening programme is aimed at men aged 65 and over.  All men should receive an invite during the year they turn 65. If you are over 65 and have not previously been screened you can arrange an appointment directly by calling 0191 445 2554. The Screening involves an ultrasound that takes around 10 minutes.

For more information on on AAA: Abdominal-Aortic-Aneurism Programme – GOV.uk

Enhanced Health Check

An Enhanced Health Check (EHC) is very similar to a standard NHS Health Check in that it aims to help improve an individual’s health and wellbeing.

Everyone is at risk of developing some conditions and finding out about things that could be impacting on your health or health conditions that you did not know you had can be scary. However, the good news is these things can often be changed or prevented if they are found early enough. The purpose of the NHS Enhanced Health Check is to find things early so that we can make the right offer of support to you to help prevent things developing further.

The standard NHS Health Check can help you prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and other conditions that we become more at risk of developing with age.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria though there are some residents who qualify for a NHS Health Check (those aged 40-74 with no known conditions), and who we believe would benefit from further screening and support, which is why they are being offered an EHC. This looks at all of the above as well as further screening, vaccinations, and your mental and physical wellbeing.


Patient Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We recognise that things in your day to day life can affect your health so an Enhanced Health Check gives us the opportunity to have a chat to understand if that is the case with you and if we can do anything to help.

We will ask you some questions about your current circumstances and lifestyle. We will also measure your height and check your weight, take your blood pressure and do a blood test. It shouldn’t take longer than an hour although it may have to be completed in 2 parts on different days.
The EHC will consist of some questions about your mental and physical wellbeing, your lifestyle and other key factors that can affect your health such as food availability and your current housing security. It will also take some screening measurements such as your height and weight, as well as further tests such as blood pressure and a blood test. You may also be offered vaccinations where needed. Much like the standard NHS Health Check, you will then receive personalised advice and signposting or referral into appropriate services.

It is anticipated that an EHC will last no longer than one hour, however in some cases it might mean you have to have more than one appointment.
Across Lancashire and South Cumbria there are some residents who qualify for the standard NHS Health Check (those aged 40 – 74 with no known health conditions), and who we believe would benefit from further support, which is why they are being offered an Enhanced Health Check. 

To begin with we’re focusing on people aged between 40 – 74 with mental health issues or those who live in an area where a lot of people are socially vulnerable (for example those who live in poverty, have lack of access to transportation, or live in crowded housing).  GP practices may choose to invite others though who they also think would benefit.
Groups of GP practices who work together in their areas – known as Primary Care Networks or PCNs – have been given extra money to help them to increase their staffing numbers to do this.

At Newton Drive, one of our Healthcare Assistants, Clare, will be carrying out the Enhanced Health Check.
If you think you have a need for an overall health check, please contact your GP surgery. If you have a specific health or wellbeing concern that you wish to speak to a healthcare professional about, you should contact your GP practice in the usual way to arrange to speak with an appropriate person or team.

Alternatively, you can speak to your local pharmacist or contact NHS111 either by telephone or online at https://111.nhs.uk/ for more advice.
If you still meet the eligibility for an Enhanced Health Check, this is likely to be every five years.

Your Enhance Health Check – What you need to know

Childhood Vaccination Schedule

At two months old

  • Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) – one injection
  • Meningitis B  (Menginococcal group B) (MenB) – one injection
  • Rotavirus (Rotavirus) – by mouth 

At three months old

  • Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B (DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB) – one injection
  • Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection
  • Rotavirus (Rotavirus) – by mouth

At four months old

  • Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection
  • Meningitis B  (Menginococcal group B) (MenB) – one injection

At 12 months old 

  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) – booster dose in one injection
  • Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection
  • Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection
  • Meningitis B  (Menginococcal group B) (MenB) – one injection

Two to ten years old

  • Influenza (fluenz) – via nostrils or injection if unsuitable (yearly)

Three years four months old or soon after (pre-school)

  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) – one injection
  • Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection

Girls aged 12 – 13 years old

  • Cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus types 6 and 18 (HPV) – injection

Around 14 years old

  • Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (Td/IPV) – one injection
  • MenACWY (MenACWY) – one injection

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them

Weight Management Programme

The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme could help you if you are living with obesity and also have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both. If this is you, you could benefit from this 12-week programme. It’s free and easily available via a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

  • You must be 18 or over.
  • You must have a BMI greater than 30. The BMI threshold will be lowered to 27.5 for people from black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds, as we know people from these ethnic backgrounds are at an increased risk of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI.
  • You must have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both.
  • You must have a smartphone, tablet, or computer with internet access.

Speak to your GP practice or local pharmacist today to find out how the programme could benefit you.

Contraception

The practice nurses undertake contraceptive checks once you have been settled on your regular pill by the doctor or Family Planning Clinic. We also offer coil and Implanon insertions.

Cervical Cancer: Smear Tests

There is a “call and recall” system in operation across Lancashire on behalf of the GP surgeries to remind you about cervical screening, or “smear tests”. They are carried out by the practice nurses.

Disease Management Clinics

These are run by the practice nurses. They are for patients with diseases in which properly devised management plans can reduce the risk of complications, and they include: Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension, COPD and Heart Disease.