Promoting Health Checks
Minutes:
Dr. John Radford, Director of Public Health, reported that local authorities were now responsible for the commissioning of NHS Health Checks which was a national risk assessment and prevention programme. Everyone attending a NHS Health Check would have their risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease assessed through a combination of their personal details, family history of illness, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol. They would then be provided with individual tailored advice that would motivate them and support and necessary lifestyle changes to help them manage their risk. Where additional testing and follow-up was needed, they should be referred to Primary Care services.
People aged 65-74 would be informed about the signs and symptoms of Dementia and informed about memory Clinics if so required.
Over the last 10 years, Health Checks had had success in reducing cardiovascular deaths as cardiovascular disease was largely preventable. They were extremely important and needed to be promoted.
The objective was to initially screen 18% of the eligible 20% of the population.
Discussion ensued with the following points raised/clarified:-
- 1 of the interventions was the prescribing of Statins which would have impacts for the population as a whole and as well as the GP practice
- The challenge was to deliver in the most deprived and hardest to reach communities and work with the Mental Health sector
- The new NICE Guidance, currently subject to consultation, proposed significant changes to Health Checks – cardiovascular risk for the over 50s was over 10%; the new Guidelines indicated that anyone who had a cardiovascular risk over 10% should be on Statins - implications for a huge section of the population
- The Guidance also contained advice on diet and exercise
- A number of cardiovascular deaths could have been prevented
- There was an ageing population but was it a healthy population? Was it the prolonging of an unhealthy ageing population
- Statins were not a surrogacy for a lifestyle
Resolved:- That the report be noted and a further report submitted in 6 months.