The NHS Health Check is for adults in England aged 40 to 74, it checks your vascular or circulatory health and works out your risk of developing some of the most disabling – but preventable – illnesses. It includes tests for cholesterol, blood pressure, Body Mass Index and a diabetes risk.
Getting the care you need: Causes of premature death
People with a serious mental health condition are less likely to get the tests and check-ups they need to make sure they are well.
Contributing factors to a lower life expectancy
These figures compare how GPs are referring people with serious mental health conditions for vital physical health tests (cholesterol testing and blood pressure checks) with the rest of the eligible patient population.
The percentage of health checks on people with serious mental health conditions is consistently lower than on the general population.
Cholesterol checks provided by GPs to people in England
68%
People with serious mental health problems
83%
Whole population
Blood pressure checks provided by GPs to people in England
83%
People with serious mental health problems
87%
Whole population
