More than six in 10 GPs say NHS Health Checks are ‘useful’, survey finds

Exclusive More than 60% of GPs say that checks done as part of the NHS Health Checks programme are ‘useful’, a Pulse survey has found.

According to the survey of 947 GPs, 62% think that the checks are useful, with 11% saying that they are ‘very useful’. However, 33% said that they were ‘neither useful nor harmful’.

The survey also found that the checks at GP practices are most frequently carried out by nurses, who do the majority of the checks in 40% of practices.

But several survey respondents mentioned that while the checks ‘have a time and a place’ in general practice, the admin created is a ‘burden’, and the programme needs adequate capacity and funding.

It comes as FOI data gathered by Pulse revealed that nearly half of local authorities in charge of commissioning the programme declared they are limiting the number of health checks that GP practices can carry out and be reimbursed for every year – which has had effects on practices and on patient care.

The prevention programme is meant to be open to all adults aged 40 to 74 years old who do not have any pre-existing health conditions – such as stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and certain heart conditions – and patients have been encouraged in national messaging to ‘book with their GP’.  

However, it has previously been criticised for the absence of ‘convincing’ randomised clinical trial evidence about its effectiveness, and for not reaching patients cohorts that would benefit the most from it.

GPs responding to the survey described the checks as ‘quite a lot of work’, but helpful when targeted at higher risk individuals. One GP said: ‘It doesn’t work as well when blanketly rolled out to everyone, as uses up a lot of resources.’

The survey also highlighted a lack of patient awareness when it comes to attending the checks and how this might benefit them. 

Another GP partner said: ‘We spend a lot of hours chasing patients up to attend or return for blood tests. The unfortunate problem is that there is not enough national marketing on the importance of NHS Health Checks and also no patient responsibility.’  

Gateshead LMC chair Dr Paul Evans told Pulse: ‘Anecdotally, they do seem to be quite a good way of picking up that cohort of patients, particularly middle-aged men, who otherwise don’t come to the doctor. 

‘We do seem to find quite a lot of this cohort with hypertension or prediabetes or highly elevated lipids, or all of the above.’  

South Staffordshire LMC chair Dr Manu Agrawal said: ‘They help identify illnesses and actually make a plan, but they need to be funded properly.

‘I know there are many GPs who don’t see value in them, because of workload issues and funding, and they wonder if the money is actually worth the time.’

The Government has recently announced that the programme will be expanded to include menopause questions, to benefit five million women. 

But a Pulse investigation has found that budgetary pressures faced by local authorities could undermine the programme.

This afternoon we will publish the second part of our new investigation into the state of the programme, including the full survey results, focusing on what GPs think of the checks.

You can hear more about our investigation into health checks on our most recent episode of Pulse in Focus: The podcast for GPs. Listen here.