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One stroke is prevented and 37 people with irregular heart rates are diagnosed for every 5000 people offered heart checks at vaccination centres

The NHS will offer a range of tests including blood pressure, heart rhythm and cholesterol checks when people have their COVID-19 booster or flu jabs at vaccination centres this autumn.

The new policy, announced by NHS Chief Operating Officer Amanda Pritchard, hopes to make ‘every contact count’ by providing opportunities for health checks during other appointments.

With prevention a major focus of the NHS Long Term Plan (NHS, 2019), Pritchard said, ‘The NHS is not just a sickness service but a health service which is why we want to make every contact count, using every opportunity to keep people well rather than just seeking to make them better. We want to offer a fully integrated care system, where we can reach out to people in the communities they live in – not just diagnosing and treating conditions, but working in partnership with the public and intervening before advanced disease occurs, keeping people healthy and well.’