The national NHS health check is a locally commissioned service (LCS) designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. The aim is to reduce avoidable premature mortality through early identification and management of risk factors and early detection of disease among people aged 40–74.

The NHS health check includes:

• a blood test
• the collection of additional risk assessment data to calculate a QRISK2 score, including age, gender, postcode, ethnicity, smoking status, physical activity GPPAQ score, diet, BMI, BP and medical history
• a manual pulse check for patients aged 65+ to assess for presence of AF
• the communication of the risk score to patients, including a full explanation of results, tailored to the individual needs of the patient
• lifestyle advice and risk factor management and medication as appropriate, including referral to appropriate lifestyle services
• administration of the Audit-C screening tool for alcohol consumption
• raising awareness of dementia and signposting to memory clinics for patients aged 65+
• movement onto disease registers and follow up as required.

Following an NHS health check at a practice, patients can be referred to the following services:

• Diabetes Prevention Programme
• Stop Smoking London
• iCope
• MoreLife Weight Management Support
• Breathe Stop Smoking
• Better Lives Drug and Alcohol Service
• Islington Memory and Dementia Navigator Service.