Over 40s/50s/60s/70s health checks?

Eliza_2

I'd heard about these health checks for a few years now so when, at 64, I hadn't had an invitation I thought I'd ring the surgery to be a bit proactive. The receptionist seemed a bit vague and said I could make an appointment to see the nurse if there was something I was worried about. As there wasn't, I left it. Then when I had a routine smear appointment I asked to have a health check while there. Same sort of response.

Anyway the nurse asked what I wanted checking 'but we don't do blood you know, you have to go to Boots or somewhere for that'. So I just asked her to check weight, heart rate, bp etc, all of which was fine but really I wanted a blood test, particularly for diabetes and cholesterol, both of which are in the family. I also thought she should have suggested what needed checking, I'm not sure I'm the best to know.

The impression I got was that I was making a bit of a fuss - worried well or something. All I wanted was to be sure I was keeping well so I could carry on doing so - or else get it sorted if a problem.

Has anyone else had one of these checks? If so, what happened at it? Should I go back to the surgery or Boots for everything from now on? The NHS website just says wait till you're called but my surgery doesn't even seem to know anything about this scheme.

It would be interesting to hear what others have experienced.

Thanks

Liz

SailorSam

I've had a pooh test a couple of times.

MarkFromCornwall

Hi Eliza,
I'm 54 and haven't been offered one of these tests. I just found this on the NHS web-site
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/NHS-Health-Check.aspx
but it seems a bit vague about when to expect to be invited.
Mark

Katiehound

I certainly had one of these tests and was invited by the surgery... but can't remember when! 2 or maybe 3 years ago. Would like to think it was in my 40s but that's not the case! (only 20 years out!) It was with a practice nurse.
It was a height, weight check, BP. Talk about life style ie drinking , exercise etc. The one thing I do remember was having a cholesterol test because that involved fasting for x number of hours beforehand (overnight I guess) so I opted to be at the surgery early a.m. so I could get my breakfast at a reasonable time. Think you also had to take a urine sample but no one had told me that beforehand.

balustrada

These links may be helpful:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/How-do-I-get-an-NHS-Health-Check.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/NHS-Health-Check/LocationSearch/1891

Bettie

I get some bloods done once a year because of medical condition but I don't get blood pressure, weight, height, diabetes check etc done and never been called for a health check. I also don't get invited into the chemists booth for medicine review like most others on medication I know. Like SailorSam I have been sent a poo smear.

pollypenny

I had a check about 15 years ago,,but only because a locus had been taken on by the practice. I suspect she earned something from having all her patients tested.

Then I had a cholesterol test when my tinnitus went bananas. Nothing since.

PennyForThem_2

Where are you living? England? If so you are entitled to this after a certain age:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/What-is-an-NHS-Health-Check.aspx

Otherwise it needs a bit of lying - go to GP and ask because you are concerned blah, blah, blah. Note you can do same at Tesco, Boots, S'bury etc but may have to pay £10 for same. Then you have to decide if you want to take statins if you have raised cholestral

Katiehound

[QUOTE
Where are you living? England? If so you are entitled to this after a certain age:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/What-is-an-NHS-Health-Check.aspx
/QUOTE]

That's a laugh- it says you will be offered a test every 5 years, from over 40??? erm that certainly isn't the case round here. I think this was the last area to get the bowel cancer checks- 2 years after everyone else.

It's a bit of a mission statement isn't it? Sounds good on paper but in reality ? possibly hardly happens!

teddysmum

My husband was offered his first earlier this year, when he was 66.


I am 66but, unfortunately, a regular visitor, so I don't need a special checkup as I have regular ones, anyway.


Boots, Tesco, Lloyds and other chemists (but not all branches) will do a free blood test, the idea being that if your blood sugar suggests diabetes, they refer you to your GP.


I am diabetic, but if feeling unwell and not being eligible for test strips any more, they have done a free test for me. I just had to sign a form ,so they could claim their expenses.


OP, if you try this, I suggest you make an appointment and have a morning test ,after fasting overnight.

milliemonster

As an insider, I can tell you that although these health checks are recommended, GPS are incentivised to offer them to essentially pick up patients who are at risk, so for instance they receive extra payments for patients whom they diagnose as having diabetes, heart disease etc, therefore because of their workloads they are only really going to invite patients whom they have an inkling may potentially have once of these conditions rather than the worried well, which if they diagnose they will then get paid for. They will assess which patients they think may be at risk from your previous medical history, lifestyle factors etc (if they know them), sounds cynical but that's the way it is.

So if you're not deemed as in a higher risk category, it's unlikely you'd be asked to attend for a health screen until you get fairly old, or see your GP about some other illness of condition and he/she checks you over at that point.

If you just want to check your general wellbeing then you can jump on a set of scales at boots and check your BMI based on that on any one of a number of online calculators, the nhs website has lots of information regarding living healthily which to be fair your gp would only tell you to look at anyway, and if you want a cholesterol test I think boots offer these kinds of things anyway. Your pharmacy is a good resource for general wellbeing tests and information.