NHS England has announced a trial scheme that will deliver blood pressure checks during dental and optometry appointments.
The scheme was piloted in local dental and optometry teams in London and Yorkshire, and will be expanded to more sites across England. The NHS estimates that the full scheme will be operational within the coming months.
The introduction of the new scheme was prompted by the success of NHS community pharmacy blood pressure checks. This has delivered more than one million tests in the last year.
The NHS said the checks will help patients to identify increased risk of stroke or heart attack which would otherwise be hidden. It estimates that 4.2 million people in England have symptomless hypertension (high blood pressure) without knowing it.
Lowering blood pressure by even a small amount is known to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks, kidney disease and vascular dementia. According to the NHS, the only way to identify high blood pressure is through a blood pressure test.
‘Life-saving’ blood pressure tests
The blood pressure checks will be delivered by 15 local integrated care boards during dentist and optometrist appointments. Six will focus solely on delivering tests at the dentist, five at the optometrist and four at both.
More than 60 clinical practices will trial the new approach. The NHS said this will broaden access to screenings for those who otherwise have no contact with the NHS. It is estimated that 100,000 additional blood pressure checks will be delivered in the next 12 months.
During the pilot scheme, one in 10 patients tested at 24 dental practices in Yorkshire and the Humber had hypertension. A survey suggested that around half of the patients would not have had their blood pressure tested otherwise.
Helen Williams, national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention for the NHS, said the checks could be ‘life-saving’. She said: ‘These convenient checks at dentists and optometrists will enable thousands of people to monitor their blood pressure and could potentially be life-saving.
‘Many otherwise healthy people over 40 only visit their GP when they’re feeling unwell. Offering these vital checks as part of routine dentist or eye test appointments means we can identify and support more people at risk.
‘High blood pressure is a significant factor in many cardiovascular diseases but as it usually has no symptoms, many people don’t know they have it. I would urge anyone offered a check to come forward.’
Workplace health checks
This comes as the government has announced a pilot scheme to deliver health checks to more than 130,000 people through their workplace. NHS health checks are already offered to over 16 million people between the ages of 40 and 74. However, NHS data suggests that the level of uptake is only at 40%.
The government said the new scheme will protect more people from diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. It also hopes that it will reduce pressure on the NHS and shorten waiting times by freeing up GP appointments used for health checks.
The checks can be completed ‘quickly and easily’ by employees at work. A range of information is recorded about each patient to determine their cardiovascular risk.
Employers from a range of sectors will take part in the pilot, including social care, transport, building and hospitality.
Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: ‘We know so many deadly diseases can be avoided if we seek help in enough time. That’s why we’re working to improve access to treatment while also taking steps to address the preventable causes of cardiovascular disease.
‘This innovative new programme is an important step towards community-focused healthcare and supporting economic and productivity through improving health, shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, easing the strain on the NHS and helping people to live well for longer.’
Digital health screenings
The government has also announced the development of a digital version of the NHS health check which will be ready for testing in 2025. This will be available through the NHS app, meaning users can complete the health check from home. Results can then be automatically added to their GP electronic health record.
Local authorities in Norfolk (East of England), Medway (South East) and Lambeth (London) will test a pilot version of the digital check in early 2025. The government estimates that the digital programme will deliver approximately one million checks in its first four years.
Plans are being put in place to make digital NHS health checks available nationally alongside the face-to-face programme.
Councillor Louise Griffiths is chair of the Local Government Association. She said: ‘Councils are exploring new ways to boost uptake, targeting individuals or communities at increased risk, and using proactive outreach programmes to get into those communities who are less likely to attend their general practice.’
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
