Credit: Crown Copyright/Open Government Licence v3.0

Digitised NHS check-ups for over-40s are scheduled to launch in about a year’s time, a minister has claimed.

Plans to launch the NHS Digital Health Check were first announced by the government in December. The process will allow citizens aged between 40 and 74 to undergo the screening exercise by completing an online questionnaire, using a special kit to take their own blood sample, and taking a blood pressure test in their local pharmacy or GP waiting room.

Asked for a progress update on the creation of the digital checks – and a timeline for the launch of the finished product – primary care and public health minister Neil O’Brien indicated that the Department of Health and Social Care is in the early stages of appointing core suppliers and exploring possible options for the construction of the service.

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“The Digital NHS Health Check will be an innovative national tool that aims to increase participation in the cardiovascular disease prevention service,” he said “The department is in the process of procuring the Alpha Phase of the Digital NHS Health Check which will focus on testing different ideas and solutions, such as the approach to biometric testing, how to invite eligible individuals and feed results back. We are working towards a live version of the digital health check being available in spring 2024.”

Currently delivered entirely in person, the NHS Health Check is intended to help prevent and treat a range of conditions that become more common in middle and old age, including stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. An estimated 15 million are eligible for the free check-ups.