Pulse investigation: How GPs are being told to limit NHS Health Checks

Pulse has launched its latest investigation into the prevention programme NHS Health Check.

The Pulse investigation uncovered that GP practices could carry out more checks for heart disease and diabetes as part of the programme, but are being limited by caps imposed by local authorities.

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’.  

New FOI data gathered by Pulse as part of the investigation has uncovered that more than 70 local authorities out of 151 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 per year – and GPs warned this is effectively limiting the number of patients that can access the checks.  

The investigation comprises of several pieces exposing how GPs are being told to limit the checks, and whether the checks are clinically useful. It also includes an opinion piece from the Health Foundation which highlighted how Pulse’s journalism has exposes ‘fundamental weaknesses in how England designs, funds and delivers prevention’.

The main findings of the investigation were also covered by The Independent. You can read the full investigation here.

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