Charity claims Herefordshire is failing to offer NHS Health Check (From Ledbury Reporter)

Charity claims Herefordshire is failing to offer NHS Health Check

6:00pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News By Lauren Rogers

HEALTH bosses have rebutted claims Herefordshire Primary Care Trust is one of the worst-performing areas in England for delivering the NHS Health Check.

A report entitled Let’s Get it Right from Diabetes UK claimed that during 2011/12 just 3.5 per cent of those eligible (2,152 people) in the region were offered a health check, which tests people aged 40 to 74 for risk of type two diabetes, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

But NHS Herefordshire says the report is based on out-of-date infomation and this year’s figures show “a very different picture”.

A spokeman for Herefordshire PCT said the number of eligible people offered an NHS Health Check between April and August 2012 was 7,049 – 33 per cent of the target set for 2012/13.

“Herefordshire’s performance figures are low for 2011/12 because of a delay in starting the programme,” said NHS Herefordshire spokesman Carla Preston.

“To avoid a postcode lottery approach and to make sure every eligible residents had access to this service, NHS Herefordshire wanted every GP practice to be involved in providing health checks across the county, and this took time to plan and develop.

“NHS Herefordshire has been working with GP practices to catch up and figures for this year show we are on track to do this.

“Health professionals are, however, still concerned that only 33.5 per cent of those invited are taking the opportunity to attend for a test and would urge people to do so.

“A simple health check could quite simply save your life.”

• Herefordshire NHS said residents who have not yet had an invitation for a health check do not need to contact their GP, unless they have concerns about their health, as everyone who is eligible will be invited once every five years.