NHS Health Checks Underutilized, Urgent Reforms Needed

Less than half of eligible adults in England have participated in NHS health checks, prompting calls for system overhaul.

The National Audit Office reports only 44% of eligible adults attended NHS health checks over the past five years.
The checks aim to reduce cardiovascular disease, which affects 6.4 million people in England and costs the economy £15.8 billion annually.
Responsibility for health checks was transferred to local councils in 2013, but only five local authorities provided checks to all entitled individuals in 2023/24.
Public health funding cuts since 2015 have shifted focus from preventive to reactive care, impacting the delivery of health checks.
The Department of Health and Social Care is piloting workplace health checks and developing a digital version to improve accessibility.