Boots starts offering free 15-minute ‘health MOTs’ for over-40s in bid to reduce pressure on the NHS

Over-40s in England can now book a free ‘health MOT’ at Boots. 

The 15-minute check-up, being offered in 1,000 stores, will check blood pressure.

Anyone with a high reading — meaning they face a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke — will be referred to their GP. 

BMI and waist circumference measurements might also be taken, if customers wish to do so.

They will then receive personalised advice and recommendations on how to live a healthier lifestyle, through exercise and diet.

The health MOT will include a blood pressure check and some optional tests to check if a person is overweight 

Boots said the scheme could help reduce pressure on the NHS, which is struggling with record backlogs and unprecedented demand.

Claire Nevinson, superintendent pharmacist at Boots, said: ‘The Free Health MOT at Boots is intended to help people gain greater insight into their health and take the steps they need to improve it. 

‘As we get older, we become more vulnerable to conditions like high blood pressure, so it’s important that we take steps to help stay healthy. 

‘The checks done during the MOT and the advice provided not only helps individual patients lead healthier lives but also reduces pressure on the NHS by offering accessible care in pharmacies at the heart of communities.’

It is hoped the campaign, which runs until June, will help Brits suffering high blood pressure get treated earlier.

Symptoms of the condition are hard to spot in day-to-day life, earning it the moniker as the ‘silent killer’. 

It is estimated to kill just over 200 Brits a day, with daily toll rising to nearly 1,370 in the US. 

But between six to eight million Brits are thought to be living with undiagnosed, and therefore uncontrolled, high blood pressure. 

Once diagnosed people can then be encouraged to make lifestyle changes like cutting down on salt and exercising more to bring their high blood pressure, also called hypertension, under control.

GPs can also prescribe people medication to helps manage their blood pressure down. 

The Boots health MOT, which will be with a pharmacist, includes:

• The NHS Blood Pressure Check Service, with a GP referral if needed 
• Optional BMI and waist circumference measurement 
• Lifestyle guidance on exercise, nutrition, sleep, mental wellbeing and stopping smoking 

At the end of their appointment, patients will receive a booklet containing information about how to lead a healthy lifestyle and a section with the results of their MOT recorded.

The idea behind the free MOT was sparked by research, commissioned by Boots, which suggested that 68 per of people want to feel healthier, with this increasing to 73 per cent for the over-40s.  

Such MOTs are not new concept, with NHS England introducing their version in 2009.

However, such campaigns have not gone without criticism. 

The checks were accused of being ‘ineffective’ and wasting £450million ($547m) a year in a 2015 report by the London School of Economics and the University of Liverpool.

This NHS check was also offered to over-40s but unlike the Boots version they cut off at 74-years-old. 

Patients registered with a GP are invited to attend 30-minute appointments every five years to monitor their risk of conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The NHS health MOT programme offers:  

• A chat about your lifestyles and family history
• Measure your height and weight
• Blood pressure check
• Blood tests 
• Personalised lifestyle guidance 

Despite a study of more than 450,000 people finding those who attended the MOTs were slimmer, less likely to smoke and have lower blood pressure years later, a 2014 review found illnesses spotted during the checks could be ‘equally well detected’ via standard care. 

Over 75s in England get a specific regular routine check up with their GP. 

These cover a variety of health issues, from checking blood pressure to early signs of dementia, though many older people also take the appointment as an opportunity to ask a health professional about any health concerns they have.