NHS Offers Free High-Street Cholesterol Tests in Bold Bid to Save Lives
The NHS in England is taking its fight against heart disease to the high street, offering free finger-prick cholesterol tests for the first time. The pioneering scheme, announced during the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Munich, will see up to 100 participating pharmacies offer the quick and convenient checks.
Seven-Minute Checks Could Save Thousands
People aged 40 to 84 who are not pregnant and have not had a blood test in the past year can walk into a participating pharmacy and have their cholesterol levels checked in just seven minutes. A small blood sample will be taken from the fingertip using a lancet and analysed immediately, with results sent to patients via email. As part of the service, patients will also be offered a blood pressure check and a consultation with a pharmacist prescriber, who can provide lifestyle advice and determine if treatment, such as statins, is needed.
'Spotting Ticking Timebombs'
The initiative is designed to identify people at risk of heart attacks and strokes much earlier, aiming to slash deaths from these conditions by a quarter over the next decade. David Webb, the chief pharmaceutical officer for England, said high street pharmacies could be a "vital first line of defence" against heart disease and strokes.
"By making it easier for people to get a quick and convenient cholesterol health check on their local high street, we can spot ticking timebombs earlier, helping people take action, and prevent heart attacks and strokes before they happen," Webb said.
Pilot Success Paves the Way
The national rollout follows a successful pilot in north London by Barts Health NHS trust, UCLPartners, and the cholesterol charity Heart UK. Of the 2,493 patients tested during the trial, almost one in five (19%) were found to be at high risk of a heart attack or stroke within the next decade. As a direct result, at least 88 people started taking statins to manage their condition.
Dr Sotiris Antoniou, the clinical lead for the scheme at Barts Health, said: "By scaling this approach across England, we can support pharmacists to identify cardiovascular risk earlier and, importantly, act on the results through timely advice and treatment."
'Exact Type of Innovation' Needed
Health minister Alison McGovern welcomed the scheme, stating it was "exactly the type of innovation" she wanted to see across the NHS.
The launch this autumn is part of a wider 10-year health plan to bring care closer to where people live, moving services out of GP surgeries and into community settings. Dr Rani Khatib, NHS England’s national specialty adviser for cardiovascular disease prevention, urged everyone to be aware of the most common risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol and blood pressure, and to "know their numbers".