NHS Health Check Standard
The NHS Health Check is an important public health programme aimed at preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adults aged 40-74 in England. By promoting early awareness, assessment, and management of key risk factors, it targets conditions contributing to premature death, disability, and health inequalities.
With over 1.2 million annual appointments, the program relies on accurate data recording to ensure that clinical actions and treatments are well-informed.Â
Currently, several clinical templates are used to record the information gathered on a patient during an NHS Health Check with some local areas having further customised the templates provided by their IT supplier.
Current release
v1.2.0 | |||
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Release date | January 2025 | ||
Release notes | v1.2.0 Requested actions section updated and new SNOMED CT codes added to this section. Incremented to v1.2.0 following end of endorsement period. | ||
Next release date | January 2028 | ||
Next release type | Standard 3-year review | ||
The standard | |
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Full standard – Json |  |
Full standard – Excel |  |
Full standard – PRSB viewer |  |
Supporting documentation | Description/purpose |
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Implementation guidance | This document includes general implementation guidance for all PRSB standards. Detailed implementation guidance specific to this standard are included within the information model. |
Business rules | Rules for implementation of the standard. |
Final report | Describes the purpose, methodolgy and stakeholder engagement for developing the standard, along with the findings and recommendations for further work. |
 | The online survey was part of the consultation approach in the development of the standard and came after detailed work on specific topic areas and a national workshop on the entire standard. |
Safety case | Summarises the hazards which could result from implementing the standard. |
Hazard log | Details the potential hazards from implementing the standard with their risk rating and mitigation. |
Provenance data | Defines the information on who made a record entry and who carried out the activity, where and when. |
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About this standard
The PRSB has developed an information standard for NHS Health Check data which will ensure standardised data of high quality is regularly collected and can be used effectively to risk assess NHS Health Check attendees, together with a record of follow up actions (referrals, advice, signposting).Â
Benefits:
- Reducing burden in terms of staff time for NHS Health Check commissioners, providers and IT suppliers.
- Allowing accurate flagging of patients eligible for an NHS Health Check, therefore patients who would benefit for a check are invited in a timely manner. Patients not eligible are not called in un-necessarily.
- Supporting high quality delivery of the NHS Health Check programme.
- Appropriately informing clinical action, treatment and follow up of NHS Health Check attendees.
- Ensuring local and national monitoring and evaluation of the NHS Health Check programme is based on high quality data.
Scope
- Adults and older adults aged 40 to 74 with no pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.
- Scope includes recording of agreed actions, next steps and signposting.
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Out of scope:
- Annual physical health checks for learning disabilities.
- Annual physical health assessments for those with severe mental illnesses.
- Physical health checks in prison.
- The development of personalised care and support plans (PCSPs).
Examples
To give a clearer idea of how the standard works in practice, PRSB have created scenario examples.
Further resources
- Standards explained
PRSB’s guide to standards which sets out the purpose and benefits of using standards and how to support frontline professionals to adopt them.
- IHRIM record correction guidance
Despite vigilance when filing information in records, mistakes can occur. The Institute of Health Records and Information Management has guidance to support professionals in making corrections following errors.
Endorsement
This standard has been endorsed by the following organisations: