'Health MOT' service to be scrapped in Dorset after just 29 per cent of eligible people sign up

The county has been named as among the least proactive places in England for adults signing up for an NHS Health Check, a free service offered to people aged 40-74 and designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia.

A report by virtual GP service Medicspot found that of 126,599 eligible people in Dorset (excluding the Bournemouth and Poole conurbation), 60 per cent were offered a free NHS Health Check between 2014 and 2019.

However, only 29 per cent of those offered a check ended up receiving one, compared to a national average of 43 per cent.

Bournemouth fared even worse with just 16 per cent of eligible adults signing up for a free check.

It comes as the government announces plans to replace the scheme with a digital version that makes use of technology, to save people needing to book face-to-face appointments with their GP.

Dr Johnson D’souza, medical director and GP at Medicspot, said: "People aged 40–74 who don’t get a Health Check every five years are at an increased risk of undetected cardiovascular disease.

"By checking your blood pressure, lifestyle, family history, height and weight, we can get an idea of your risk of getting certain illnesses including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

"It is very worrying that only 29 per cent of people who were eligible for a free NHS Health Check in Dorset took up the offer."

Officials are yet to provide precise details of what the revamped health checks will look like in Dorset, but said they would harness ‘the latest technology, techniques, and data’ and would include factors ‘that could include their age, where they live and their DNA’ to personalise health checks.

Despite the planned overhaul, people in Dorset who are aged 40–70 can still get a health check from their GP or pharmacist. This would usually involve receiving a letter from their GP or local authority inviting them for a check-up.