Free digital health check for over 40s launches in Peterborough

A new, and potentially life-saving, digital health check is now available to people in our region.

The Healthy Heart Check will be offered to all Pharmacy2U repeat prescription patients aged 40 and over living in Peterborough and Cambridge.

It is hoped the scheme will help tackle cardiovascular disease, which is the second biggest killer in England, affecting around 6.4 million people.

Gary Dannatt, Chief Operating Officer at Pharmacy2U, said the new service is “part of our continued effort to support the NHS and alleviate pressure on doctors and GPs when they need it most.

“Fully digital health checks will help detect certain health abnormalities at a time and place convenient to our patients and ensure they receive the care and support they need to navigate the results.”

The Healthy Heart Check has been developed by PocDoc, a specialist company which uses technological innovation to make diagnostic testing for cardio, metabolic and renal disease as accessible and affordable as possible.

Their digital health check uses a microfluidic assay and a smartphone to provide patients with an NHS-equivalent cardiovascular screening at home, without needing to visit a GP.

The PocDoc app and digital pathway collects all the information needed for the Healthy Heart Check within ten minutes.

Patients will be offered the free option to discuss their results with a Pharmacy2U pharmacist if they wish, where they will be offered lifestyle advice and over-the-counter product recommendations from the the company’s online shop.

Referrals to GPs will only be made if further tests and treatment are needed, or if results indicate more urgent care is required, further helping to reduce demand on GP services.

PocDoc’s CEO, Steve Roest, said the Healthy Heart Check – which was successfully trialled in the North East of England – has already delivered “very clear results.”

“Patient feedback has been extremely positive,” he said; “we have reached people who are not engaging with existing preventative healthcare services yet are at serious risk of future cardiac events and major ill health.”

The digital health check will operate alongside the existing in-person NHS Health Check.

The expectations are that the Healthy Heart Check will contribute an additional one million checks over four years.