Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2012 | Page 139

FASHION HEALTH & BEAUTY

Health check on Island
The Island NHS is involved in a national early-

to keep their risk as low as possible.

identification health check scheme, which has

“It could mean being offered a weight

been organised by the Department of Health to

or exercise programme or alcohol intake

run for the next five years.

advice. There are many options to

It is a campaign for everyone between the

reduce high risk and keep low risk low.

ages of 40 and 74, who will be invited by letter

People who are already identified with a

for a health check at their local medical centre

risk, and are currently being treated, will

to be assessed by a nurse about their risk of

not be invited to attend.”

cardio-vascular disease. The scheme has been
introduced so that everyone in the specified age
group whose birthday ends with a 0 or a 5 will
receive an invitation that year.
The age staging means it will take five years
for everyone to be called in for their check, but
they will eventually be invited, but with the 70 to
74-year-olds the first to be contacted. The check
will determine whether anyone is likely to get a
cardio-vascular disease, such as heart attack,
stroke or diabetes, during the next 10 years.
Louise Gray, Commissioning Development
Officer, said: “If anyone is at high risk they will
automatically be referred to their GP for review.
Even if someone is low risk, but has high blood
pressure or is inactive, they will be advised on how

Scratch card a winner
Islanders will soon be on a winner

gardening or whatever. It is not about

with a new scratch card that has been

hard exercise, but gentle, beneficial

introduced, but this time it is a health

work-outs.

winner rather than a money winner.
The local NHS want a health legacy

Turn over the scratch card and it
indicates a score to determine whether

for the 2012 Olympics, and h fR6