Selected individuals will be invited to complete digital health checks prior to attending a face to face appointment with their GP to give a blood sample and have their blood pressure checked. In some cases, people will be sent kits to take a blood sample at home.
The trial is part of the Government's plan to increase uptake of NHS Health Checks, designed to prevent stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of dementia.
NHS Health Checks are available to adults aged between 40 and 74 every 5 years and, as part of the trial taking place in Wolverhampton, eligible residents may receive an invitation via SMS or email from their GP practice to complete much of their NHS Health Check online.
This pilot will initially be offered to eligible people in selected GP practices. Everyone else will continue to be offered an in person NHS Health Check in the usual way.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: "The NHS Health Check is a bit like a midlife MOT and can help prevent you from developing various health conditions by spotting any early signs of problems and making lifestyle changes.
"We want to increase the number of eligible adults in our city who take up the opportunity of having their health check when it's due, and we are pleased to be part in this trial, which will give some of our residents the chance to complete much of their NHS Health Check from the comfort of their own home.
"We think this will prove popular by people who are time poor or, for whatever reason, are unlikely to attend a face to face health check with their GP. It will also help to free up GP time for more urgent appointments."
She continued: "If you are sent an invitation for a digital health check you will be invited to answer a series of questions online to give your GP a better overall understanding of your health status.
“You may also be offered a blood test at home or be asked to book an appointment to come in for a blood test and blood pressure reading. If you choose to be sent a home blood test kit you will be sent full instructions on how to collect the sample and return it to the lab.”
The Government says the digital NHS Health Check will make patients’ lives easier and reduce pressure on frontline services, adding that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, people got used to doing tests at home and getting their results online.
The results of the trial will help inform the design and development of the new national NHS Digital Health Check.
For more information on NHS Health Checks, please visit NHS Health Check.
