Record numbers undergoing health check.
Almost 70,000 people in Birmingham have taken steps to improve their health by undergoing a free health MOT.
And new figures published by Public Health England show that more people in Birmingham are taking up the offer of an NHS Health Check than in most other parts of the country.
The checks, offered to people aged between 40 and 74 years, are designed to identify the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
Figures show that the take up of the programme is much higher in Birmingham than the national average:
25.8 per cent of eligible people were invited to attend for an NHS Health Check in the second quarter of 2014-15. This compares to 19.69 per cent nationall .y An impressive 53.89 per cent of people accepted the offer of an NHS Health Check compared to 48.82 per cent nationally
Over 69,000 Birmingham people have attended an NHS Health Check since 2013 and events like the mass screening at Vaisakhi Mela in April now aim to increase the take up rate in traditionally hard to reach communities.
The NHS Health Check, available for 40 -74 year olds, is an important step for many people towards improving their health and wellbeing. Through relatively simple lifestyle changes, like healthy eating and being more physically active, people can lower their risk of developing serious, but preventable conditions such as; heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and dementia.
Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Cllr Paulette Hamilton, said: “Prevention is vital if we’re going to improve the health of people across this city, so the continued success of the NHS Health Check scheme in Birmingham is very encouraging.
“The programme provides a real opportunity for people to take control of their own health thousands of people in Birmingham have been offered practical advice to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and other conditions.
“But there are still many eligible people who have not yet taken up the offer and my advice to them would be to speak to their GP as soon as possible. You NHS Health Check is quick and painless and it could make a major difference to the quality and length of your life.”