MId Life Health Survey- a waste of public money?

First I've heard of it.

Me too - could you post a link please?

I think it's this one www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/21/nhs-wasting-450m-on-mid-life-mot-health-checks-doctors-say

'Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said: “This report reflects concerns that the BMA have been expressing for years about the cost effectiveness of the health-check system and whether they deliver any real benefit to patients.

“Given how scarce NHS resources are, we cannot afford to be wasting them on politically driven schemes that are not backed up by a clear evidence base.” '

Ah - it is the health check. I have had this. I am unsure how helpful it was as it told me nothing I did not already know - and I guess those who might benefit most from it are likely to be those who might not take part.

I did it. I think it is a waste of NHS money.

We seem to have two threads no on the One You campaign.

I think this is the proposal for GP's to invite you in to lecture you on your lifestyle. I was invited at 55 and told I had an 18% chance of a stroke or heart attack. I said I would accept the 82% chance that I wouldn't.
At 78 I have never been invited since. At prescription review time I sometimes get a blood test but apart from being prescribed statins nothing much happens.

I am 'invited' annually to the B/P clinic to be checked over by the nurse in order to continue to receive my prescriptions for Bisoprolol etc despite seeing the rheumatologist every six months who does the same thing. The nurse a charming and very able clinician is obese. She weighs me and tuts a bit. This year I am a few pounds more than last year and I'm nervous - ridiculous as I am several sizes smaller than she is. I have a very healthy diet - a few too many glasses of wine and am very active - not bad and the best I'm willing to engage in. I want to be left alone I don't want my retirement years to be full of visits to the doctors etc.

I think GPs have enough on their plate without doing health education as well - they are not trained to do this.
Also they are not always following national advice themselves it's a complex message. I had a friend who said "I like seeing Dr X because he doesn't tell me off about how much I drink - it would be pot calling kettle...".
And telling people "if you don't lose weight, give up smoking and cut down on the wine you're likely to die early - and if your don't you'll certainly have a miserable and unhealthy time ahead of you" is not necessarily going to work anyway. As per article - it doesn't.

There is an epidemic of unhealthy living in this country, waistlines are expanding before our eyes, excessive alcohol consumption is the norm, hardly any people take exercise - even a brisk daily walk and people are still smoking... People are being kept alive longer but not in a healthy state. It's costing a fortune and its no fun to have 20 years of ill health before you die.
It's quite a startling statistic though isn't it - 2/3 of deaths before 75 are preventable.

These survey's worry me. One thing which needs thinking about is any results could have an affect on your insurance costs for holidays etc. When I retired, at the ripe age of 73, I had a letter from GP surgery requesting I go for an annual check up. Never been asked to attend before. I went, as for the first time in my life I had the time.

I had a Goitre op. 30 years previously and was told I did not need Thyroxine as levels were not low enough, it was still the same but GP still put me on it. I now have to declare this on quotes for insurance. He also put me on Simvastatn as a precaution. My as advice is don't go to GP if you plan getting insurance for a holiday

My dad didn't smoke or drink and died at 56.

Mum smoked from the age of 17, ate badly (borderline anorexic) was a constant worrier and lived to 90.

My paternal grandmother was obese, largely stationary (geddit?), smoked since she was 14, drank every night, more at weekends. She lived till she was 87. Her mother, my GGmother, was a thin, lively, wiry woman, always on the go, never smoked or drank. She died when I was 19 and she was, guess what, 87.

It seems to me that these surveys need to take genetic make up much more into account. But perhaps that's a little too sophisticated for the health police?

I did the One You survey. I am a cancer patient, still on treatment for another 3 years which cause fatigue, along with all the chemo etc I've already had. The survey didn't allow you to remark on current health issues and told me I need to get more exercise! I thought it was rubbish!

I did the survey and thought it was ridiculous. Do the "twelve year olds" who dream these things up at vast expense to the public purse think we are all half wits once we reach a certain age! Rant over.

Agree - have just done it and learnt nothing. Very basic questions and we all know that everyone answers these surveys with the responses we think those who set them want to hear.

Last week my mom got a phone call from our doctors saying it was time for her health check they made her a appointment for the following day when she went all they did was take her blood pressure told her it was fine and that was it she couldnt believe what a waste of time it was. If you want a appointment at our doctors you have to wait days to get one and now I no why when they are taking up appointments with pointless health checks. It is common sense if you felt ill you would ring for a appointment.

Getting rid of this survey might alleviate the pressure on GPs. Or are all the checks actually done by nurses?

My Health Checks at GP surgery, which I think is the one you and I are talking about Jess was carried out by an experienced Practice Nurse and was quite extensive and thought provoking.

These checks are only as good as the ones who take them. People with a will to change, and accept responsibility for their own lifestyles, and a positive attitude will always succeed better than those who don't.

I was invited to one recently jess and it was done by the practice nurse.
There was a benefit to me in that it said my liver function was normal, so I shall carry on with my alcohol use as per normal without feeling guilty or worrying about it

Even if the checks are carried out by a practice nurse, rather than a GP, they are still a cost to the NHS because the nurse still has to be paid, and the blood tests are quite extensive - Hb1ac for glucose levels, cholesterol & other lipids, thyroid function, kidney function and liver function. I've no idea of the lab costs of those but they will be appreciable.
The appointment was for 20 minutes with the nurse, and I could have had another 20 minute appointment to discuss the results if I'd wanted to.
40 minutes of an practice nurse's time is probably as expensive as 10 minutes if a GPs time.

But Jane you'd only really want a further 20 minutes of her time if the tests are in some way abnormal I'm guessing. And for those whose results throw up some issues, such as previously undiagnosed diabetes, poor liver or thyroid function this would be time well spent.

Without wishing to ruffle any feathers, I really find it hard to understand why people do not appreciate that these tests and surveys have a purpose, which is to change the way the nation is heading.

It is generally accepted that the NHS is on its knees; between doctors' contracts, bad administration, poor quality care, an aging population (oh no! Not that again ) and the general lifestyle adopted by modern eating habits and lack of exercise.

What do people think would work to address and change lifestyles then? I would really like to hear some positive suggestions rather than all this negativity.

anya I wasn't rubbishing the checks - I was just responding to jess's implication that the checks didn't put pressure on GPs because they were carried out mainly by nurses. That might not cost the GPs' time, but it does cost the NHS financially.
I agree with your point that they are really only going to benefit those who are willing to make lifestyle changes as a result of the various test results. Sometimes it's not because they can't see that they should change, but because for one reason or another they are not able to make those changes, for example somebody working full time who also has family responsibilities might find it quite difficult to take the amount of exercise suggested.

And Anya the lack of evidence that they are cost effective - or indeed effective at all.

I think the tests have their place and can be useful, but as I said upthread they are preaching to the converted - only those who try to look after their health anyway are likely to respond to the invitation, which limits their value.