NHS health MOTs have had half of adults miss out on getting checks
Half of adults over 40 are missing out on NHS health MOTs as cash-strapped councils struggle to find cash to supervise GPs over the checks
- GP check-ups should be offered to adults aged between 40 to 75 to spot illness
- Budget cuts mean councils can’t fund scheme and GPs see it as a waste of time
- Only 18 per cent of adults had checks between 2013 and 2018 in Croydon, Surrey
Half of middle-aged adults are missing out on vital health checks to spot diabetes, heart disease and dementia, figures reveal.
Of the 15.5 million men and women meant to have had an NHS ‘health MOT’ between 2013 and 2018, only 6.8 million did.
A batch of important GP check-ups should be offered to all adults aged 40 to 75 at five-year intervals to look for early signs of serious illness.
It includes testing blood and blood pressure, recording patients’ height and weight and detailed questions on family history.
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Councils are meant to ensure GPs send out reminder letters and advertise the service in surgery waiting rooms, but amid cuts to public health budgets many do not fund the scheme. In addition, some GPs regard the checks as a waste of time.
The latest figures, revealed by charity Diabetes UK, expose a stark variation in attendance across Britain.
In Croydon, Surrey, only 18 per cent of eligible adults had the check between 2013 and 2018, while 99 per cent did in Walsall.
Half of middle-aged adults are missing out on vital health checks to spot diabetes, heart disease and dementia, figures revea.
Public health budget cuts mean many councils do not fund the scheme. In addition, some GPs regard the checks as a waste of time
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