Suffolk Adults Urged To Take Up Potential Life-saving Opportunity

People across Suffolk aged between 40 and 74, who don’t have a pre-existing health condition, are being encouraged to take-up a potentially life-saving opportunity.  

The call to action comes after Suffolk GP Federation were awarded a contract to deliver over 23,000 NHS Health Checks in the county annually. 

Suffolk County Council have also become one of 45 local authorities in England to receive funding from the government as part of the national Workplace Cardiovascular Disease Health Check Pilot. Working with Suffolk GP Federation 2,000 additional NHS Health Checks will be delivered in workplaces in the county by March 2025.

NHS Health Checks play a really important role in preventing disease and helping people live healthier lives for longer. They can be lifesaving as they help spot increased risk of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia early, before the conditions develop. They also give people an opportunity to talk to a health care professional about how to reduce their risk.

Cllr Steve Wiles, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection at Suffolk County Council, said:

 “NHS Health Checks are an important tool in spotting health conditions early and helping people become more aware of what they can do to improve their health and wellbeing in the future. Prevention is always better than cure and I encourage residents who are invited for a free health check to make an appointment as soon as possible.”

“I am also delighted we received additional funding to provide workplace checks. This will help us to gather evidence on the feasibility and impact of delivering health checks in targeted workplaces and, in doing so, help more people live well for longer.”

Julie Smith, Managing Director at Suffolk GP Federation said

“We are delighted to take on the contract for delivering NHS Health Checks in Suffolk on behalf of Suffolk County Council.

“Not only will we be inviting eligible people to attend a Health Check at their local GP Practice or pharmacy, we will also be visiting local communities so more people can take advantage of the checks.

“If you receive an invite, or come across our outreach team in your community, I urge you to take advantage of this free opportunity to support your overall health and wellbeing.”

For more information about the Suffolk NHS Health Check Service visit www.suffolkfed.org.uk/healthcare-services/nhs-health-checks/.