Residents aged 40 to 74 are being encouraged to have a free ‘health MOT’ to check they are fit for the coming winter and beyond.
Free NHS Health Checks are available to over 40s who aren’t currently diagnosed with a long-term condition like diabetes or high blood pressure.
This 20 minute check assesses your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia – conditions that can often be prevented.
Your risk of developing these health conditions is calculated by taking measurements such as your height, weight and cholesterol level and asking questions about your lifestyle and family medical history. Taking this information also means that you can be offered personalised advice on how to reduce your risk.
Cllr Maurice Jones, Executive Member for Health at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “Many of us make the effort to make sure that our cars are winter-ready, but our busy lives often mean that our own health is at the bottom of our list of priorities.
“An NHS Health Check is like an MOT for your body - it makes sure that some of your body’s most important systems are all running smoothly and can help spot any potential problems before they cause real damage, helping you stay healthy for longer.”
Cllr Louise Jackson, Portfolio Holder for Public Health at Bedford Borough Council, said of her own NHS Health Check experience: ‘Like many people I have a busy life balancing family and work, and I probably don’t think about my own health enough.’
‘At my Health Check I was able to sit down with an expert and talk about the small lifestyle changes that I can make to stay healthy.’
If you are eligible, your local GP surgery will invite you for an NHS Health Check once every five years, but you don’t have to wait for an invite – you can also contact your GP surgery to find out more about how to make an appointment.
For more information about NHS Health Checks visit healthcheck.nhs.uk
