Press Release

HEALTH MOT A 'WELCOME INITIATIVE'

1 April 2008

Vital that services concentrated in areas of deprivation

Help the Aged today responded to government proposals that  would see everyone aged 40 to 74 in England offered check-ups for heart disease,stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.  The scheme would see pharmacies and community centres offering new disease screening services.

Dr Lorna Layward, Senior Research Manager for Research into Ageing, Help the Aged said:

"Help the Aged welcomes a greater focus on prevention - we have long called for early and targeted NHS support for those most at risk of ill-health in later life.

"It's vital that the government concentrate these services in areas of high deprivation, ensuring they work to close, not widen, the worsening health inequality gap. Across the country, patchy provision of health services has created huge variations in ease of access to services.

"Making sure screening programmes reach the whole population - especially the most vulnerable in our society - is about more than targeting provision, there must also be effective promotion of services.

"Offering everyone in mid to later life Health MOT is a great idea, and adding pharmacies and community centres to the list of places where such check-ups take place is a welcome iniative.

"Crucial to the success of these proposals is proper investment - we need to see adequate resources for staff, training and testing."