Over 40’s/ over 50’s health check?

[Oncemoreforluck]

I have never had one, never been invited for one (56).
All my friends and work colleagues (over 40) have had a call from their doctor inviting them to one.
Seems like it’s a bit of an MOT. Blood tests, cholesterol tests blood pressure, weight etc all checked.
Why have I not been invited? Is it that not all doctors surgeries do this, or is it because I have been to the doctor with an ‘illness’ twice in my life, so they are just assuming I must be fit and healthy 😂😂.
Have you had this check up?
Does your surgery do this as a matter of routine?
Should I be ringing my doctor to request one?

I haven't had one either although the weight checks happen most visits ie they look at me, mumble something about i should think about loosing some weight, click something on screen and then continue with the reason I'm there.

2 different surgeries over that time and I've not been called for one either

I haven’t had one.

I had one when I turned 40 and so did most people I know. Not much happened. They weighed me, took my blood pressure and checked cholesterol- I think that was it. They also asked whether I smoked, how much alcohol I consumed and whether I exercised. I didn’t find it particularly useful as I could already weigh myself and take my blood pressure and find out information about those. The only thing I wouldn’t have known was my cholesterol, so I suppose that could have been useful if it flagged up any concerns.

Like you, I have rarely needed medical care so I think in my area everyone gets invited for the MOT when they turn 40. If you want one, ask for one. Possibly you got accidentally missed.

You'll be invited for a free NHS Health Check every 5 years if you're between 40 and 74 years of age and do not already have a pre-existing condition.
If you're registered with a GP surgery that offers the NHS Health Check, you should automatically get an invitation. Do not worry if you have not been invited yet – you will be over the next 5 years.
Alternatively, your local authority will send you an appointment letter explaining where you have to go for your NHS Health Check.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-health-check/what-is-an-nhs-health-check-new

Fifty seven and never had one.

Did get a letter from a private health company saying I was due one, for about £200 I could have taken that route.

We were never invited. DH heard about it on national news & requested one (somehow, from his GP?) in ~2015. I never had one until friend became a local programme coordinator; me & DH both signed up to help meet her work targets. They are being advertised at work now, via one of the private sub-contracting companies. I would not have bothered but for helping friend; DH feels he has a family history of heart disease so wanted to have some baseline values. Which is good because it turns out he has "endurance athlete" high cholesterol (not a problem, but good to get advice about it at baseline).

It is cheaper than getting cholesterol test in Boots, and you get full breakdown into HDL, LDL, TG, was main benefit in my head.

Now I'm racking brain & thinking maybe I was invited in 2015... but ignored it?! Anyway, if you want this, you can find a way to get it.

Followed the links for how to book via my local authority 😂

Our surgery follows this guidance, and does not offer them.

www.cochrane.org/CD009009/EPOC_general-health-checks-reducing-illness-and-mortality

I had one one when I was about 49/50 - so nearly 10 years ago. Never been contacted about one again.

I'm in my 40s and never had one on the NHS but my past health insurer used to offer them so I had one of those a couple of years ago. It included a general blood screen, ecg and smear/prostate check so it was far more comprehensive than the nhs offering.

No. Never been offered one (52). Telephone Dr appointments happily prescribe medication without checking my blood pressure.

However I'm fairly confident my blood pressure and iron levels are ok as the blood donation service are happy to take from me.

Same surgery doesn't offer flu shots to my asthmatic husband - I just book those for him at boots as when I did ring to ask if he should get one they said they'd ring him when it was time. And that was November 2018....

I was sent a letter to book one when I turned 40 but didn't due to various reasons, and not recieved one since. DH went for his.

I've noticed that my GP surgery used to be very good at sending out reminders for smear tests and other health checks, but that's all gone to shit since covid, which I guess is a sign of how much pressure GP surgeries are currently under.

I'm 41 and went for one the other week. I ended up having to take away a blood pressure monitor and take it twice a day as I was on 'the high side of normal'. Everything else was fine. Luckily I've just started going to slimming world and walking so avoided the weight lecture.

I had an invite when I turned 40 but didn’t book it for quite a while afterwards.

I was told that’s its to calculator your risk of heart disease.

I don't think all surgeries have signed up to these. We have always done them but tbh they are very low priority atm. We don't have enough appointments for poorly people or those with chronic conditions let alone screening well 40 somethings.
Most people can weigh themselves and check their own BP but healthchecks are worth it from having their glucose and cholesterol profile checked if nothing else.
It's basically cardiovascular disease risk screening and offering statins to those at risk.
Google Q Risk calculator.

We get an "invite" to make an appointment for one within the month of our birthday. My birthday was in December and there were only 2 available appointments ( they send a list of available times/dates and you have to select one), none of which I could take. I've been told I have to wait until December before I can try again as they won't do it outside of my "birthday month".

Not currently available at my surgery, due to pressures since Covid, but I got one by signing up for a research trial into heart disease genetic markers. My Q risk score is very low but I do have the genetic factors which predispose me to have heart disease (not a surprise, heart disease runs in my family).