Wakefield District sites among first to rollout new West Yorkshire Healthy Heart Screenings

Wakefield District will be delivering some of the first groundbreaking cardiovascular disease (CVD) health screenings to targeted local communities as part of a new West Yorkshire-wide rollout.

The ‘Healthy Heart Screening’ uses app-based technology, provided by PocDoc, to offer patients a comprehensive cholesterol profile, body mass index score, heart age estimate, and a ten-year risk assessment for having a heart attack or stroke.

Healthy Heart Community Hubs in Wakefield District are among the sites the first West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership screenings will take place – as part of its commitment to increase the years of life that local people live in good health.

The use of the new technology means patients can have the results of their screen within minutes and start making healthy changes straight away. Patients will also be offered resources to help them understand their results and lifestyle advice on how to improve their heart health.

In West Yorkshire, almost 6 per cent of the adult population has CVD, and more than 115,000 people are at high risk of developing a heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years according to their QRISK score.

By detecting risk early, it means patients have the chance to reduce their risk through a healthy diet and exercise, as well as receiving further preventative care if needed.

Importantly, the Healthy Heart Screen is proven to be successful in reaching ‘at risk’ groups, including Black or South Asian people, those with severe mental illness or learning disabilities, people living in deprivation, men aged 40 to 59 and women aged 35 to 55.

The first screenings will be delivered at the following sites:

• Healthy Heart Community Hubs in Wakefield
• Get Set Goal at the University of Huddersfield
• Community Pharmacy Independent Prescribing Pathfinder pilot sites

Screenings will be offered to those in attendance at these sites who are identified as being at high risk of CVD and meet the eligibility criteria.

Emily Turner, CVD Clinical Lead, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, said: “CVD impacts thousands of people across West Yorkshire, and an even greater number are at risk. That’s why we are excited to be starting this new initiative.

“By focusing on prevention, we can tackle this disease, but we must reach those most at risk. One of the main ways of doing this is improving access to digital solutions that are easy to use and convenient. This smartphone-based technology helps patients detect potential problems faster and earlier and is an excellent example of our commitment to using technology to improve patient outcomes and address health inequality in our community.”

Steve Roest, CEO at PocDoc, said: “CVD presents a major threat to the health of millions of people, but we can fight back against this disease if we focus on early detection and prevention. Key to this is improving access to rapid screenings like our ‘Healthy Heart Screen’ to ensure those who are most at risk get the tests they need to take meaningful action.”