NHS Health Check

NHS Health Check - Guidance Documents

Key documents on vascular risk assessment and management include the following:

NHS Health Check Patient Presentation - NHS Bury

This useful presentation from NHS Bury was created for use on TV display screens in GP practice waiting areas and gives a brief overview of the NHS Health Check programme for the benefit of patients.  The presentation was created by Zoe Fogarty, Support Officer for Public Health, in January 2012. 

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia - Dr Nigel Capps, Consultant Chemical Pathologist for Shropshire

This presentation provides a detailed overview of diagnosis, treatment and review of familial hypercholesterolaemia using a selection of case studies. 

View and download the NHS Health Check results leaflet produced by NHS Nottingham City.  The user firendly booklet incorporates all of the information included in the results pack produced by Department of Health but is smaller and cheaper to reproduce.

This handbook had been provided by NHS Heart of Birmingham as an invaluable guide to vascular risk assessment and management.  The PCTs excellent record of GP engagement with the NHS Health Check programme is underpinned by this handbook.

Revised NHS Health Check Identity Guidelines (PDF 1.8MB) - March 2010
The NHS Health Check programme is a national offer to everyone eligible between 40 and 74. The Department of Health has made available a number of promotional materials that you should use if possible. These promotional materials have been produced to ensure consistency of message, to save you time and money and to help ensure that people know when they have had their NHS Health Check.

NHS Health Check FAQ's (PDF 105KB) - March 2010
To support the publication of NHS Health Check Best Practice Guidance for PCTs, the DH has devised and revised a set of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ and answers which cover the most popular queries posed by key stakeholders.

Improving Communcation between Community Pharmacy and General Practice (PDF 422KB) - July 2009
The General Practioners Committee of the British Medical Association and the National Pharmacy Association have produced a practical workbook to help GPs and community pharmacists manage their day to day communications in such a way as to maximise efficiency and ensure a safe and effective service to patients. The workbook describes various Community Pharmacy-GP interactions, including those relating to the NHS Health Check (see interface 9), and highlights some principles of good practice.

Best Practice Guidance for the Assessment and Management of Vascular Risk - April 2009
The Department of Health has published the above document to support Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in their implementation of the vascular risk assessment and management programme and will help ensure consistency,quality assurance and safety across England.

Putting prevention first: Vascular checks risk assessment and management- impact assessment - November 2008
This document sets out the evidence base in support of implementing a national vascular risk assessment programme, including reasons for policy intervention, the options considered and details of a cost–benefit analysis. Having outlined the possibilities, the document makes a recommendation for a preferred option: the phased implementation of a risk assessment programme for people aged 40–74.

Putting prevention first- vascular checks: risk assessment and management - next steps guidance for primary care trusts - November 2008
Putting prevention first, published in April 2008, outlined proposals for a system of vascular checks to be carried out in primary care. ‘Next Steps’ has been developed in consultation with PCT commissioners, those who will be carrying out the checks and the Learning Network, which has been set up to share learning across the NHS on vascular risk assessment and management. It draws on some real life case studies and examples of how PCTs have already implemented vascular checks in their areas. It provides practical tools to support commissioning and links to existing resources and guidance.

Putting prevention first - vascular checks: risk assessment and management (PDF, 227K) - April 2008
Launched by Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, Putting prevention first set out plans for the NHS to introduce a systematic and integrated programme of vascular risk assessment and management for those aged 40 and 74.

Economic modelling for vascular checks (PDF, 1023K) - April 2008
The technical consultation outlines the modelling work the Department of Health performed to establish the clinical and cost effectiveness of the vascular checks programme. The consultation is now closed.

The Handbook for Vascular Risk Assessment, Risk Reduction and Risk Management (PDF)
Commissioned by the UK National Screening Committee, this handbook brings together in one place information on the current state of knowledge about vascular risk assessment, risk reduction and risk management.

Vascular Risk Assessment: Workforce Competences - June 2009
The Department of Health and Skills for Health have compiled these workforce competencies from the existing Skills for Health database to support PCTs in any necessary training for staff involved in the NHS Health Check.

NHS Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework Enhanced Service- NHS Health Check - June 2009
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee have published a national service specification template for the NHS Health Check service, developed collaboratively with the Department of Health. The template service specification provides a starting point for the development of local service specifications by LPCs and PCTs.

Primary Care Service Framework: Vascular Checks - February 2009
NHS Primary Care Contracting has developed a Primary Care Service Framework for Vascular Checks on behalf of the Department to support high-quality commissioning of the necessary services needed to implement the checks.

Relevant guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence (NICE) includes:

NHS Health Check: A Practical Guide to Point of Care Testing (PDF KB)
Drawing on the work of the Learning Network’s ‘Test Bed’ programme, case studies from the field and existing guidance, NHS Improvement has developed a series of short, practical guides covering various aspects of implementation and delivery of the NHS Health Check.

A Practical Guide to Point of Care Testing, the first in the series, introduces the subject inthe context of the NHS HealthCheck, sets out why it’s important,and identifies some of the pros andcons to the use of Point of CareTesting (POCT). A number of issuesand challenges to implementationare presented alongside practical‘solutions’, drawing heavily onexperience and learning from thefield. Last, but by no means least,the guide points to other usefulsources of guidance, advice andinformation.

Brief interventions and referral for smoking cessation
The summary of the published public health intervention guidance on brief interventions and referral for smoking cessation in primary care and other settings. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Four commonly used methods to increase physical activity
The summary of the published public health intervention guidance. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Obesity
The summary of the published clinical guideline on Obesity. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Hypertension
The summary of the published clinical guideline on high blood pressure. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Identifying and supporting people most at risk of dying prematurely
The summary of the published public health intervention guidance on Identifying and supporting people most at risk of dying prematurely. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Cardiovascular disease - statins
The summary for the published technology appraisal on using statins for the prevention of cardiovascular events (heart attacks and strokes). It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Chronic kidney disease
The summary of the published clinical guideline on chronic kidney disease. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Lipid modification
The summary of the published clinical guideline on lipid modification. It links to the published guidance and key documents.

Management of type 2 diabetes
The new guideline replaces existing NICE recommendations for the condition, revising areas where new information has become available, and will act as a single reference point for healthcare professionals on all aspects of the care and support that should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes.
 

Tools and guidance on commissioning and implementing relevant lifestyle management services and interventions include the following:

Let’s Get Moving Physical Activity Care Pathway
The new Let's Get Moving (LGM) physical activity care pathway is based on the principles of the NICE public health guidance 2006: Four Commonly Used Methods to Promote Physical Activity, which endorses the delivery of brief interventions for physical activity in primary care as both clinically and cost effective in the long term.
The launch of LGM provides a unique opportunity to embed the promotion of physical activity at the very core of the NHS, offering a major opportunity for health professionals to make a significant difference to the health of our nation.

Care pathway for the management of overweight and obesity
This package contains information for health professionals on weight management, and booklets for patients.

Primary Care Service Framework: Management of Obesity in Primary Care
This 'enhanced service' framework, developed by NHS Primary Care Contracting, can be adapted and used as a basis for an enhanced service via a primary care contract or Service Level Agreement.
 

Tools and guidance on devices include the following:

Buyers' Guide to Point-of-Care Testing for Cholesterol Measurement (CEP09020)
The NHS Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing (CEP) has published a buyers' guide to point-of-care devices for cholesterol measurement.  This guide reviews all commercially available lipid measurement systems for point-of-care total cholesterol and / or HDL cholesterol testing. It includes technical, operational, economic and purchasing considerations that are important when selecting a suitable system and highlights those devices suitable for the NHS Health Check programme.

DB 2002(03) Management and Use of IVD Point of Care Test Devices
This bulletin is intended to provide information on Point of Care Testing and guidance on the use and introduction of such tests.

Buyer's Guide to Low Cost Non-Invasive Blood Pressure Monitors (08035)
This guide, published by the Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing (CEP) describes all of the low cost monitors on the market and explains the main differences. It focuses on the importance of clinical validation and follows up on the advice given in the note from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Medical Device Alert and Device Bulletin.

Buyers' Guide to Point-of-Care Testing for HbA1c
The NHS Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing (CEP) has published a buyers' guide to point-of-care devices for the measurement of HbA1c and low concentration urine Albumin.  The guide covers technical, operational, economic and purchasing considerations along with a market review of all the systems currently on the UK market presented as comparitive tables.  The guide will enable users to make an informed decision about the system they choose to use.