NHS midlife health check to be moved online in England

Pilot scheme is under way in Cornwall, with hope that self-testing will ease pressure on NHS

The midlife health check with a GP, designed to spot some of the most common conditions that affect people as they age, is to be moved online in England, relying increasingly on self-testing, under plans announced by ministers.

A pilot scheme is under way in Cornwall, with health officials saying they hope to capitalise on people's increased familiarity with testing themselves at home and reporting the results online since the emergence of Covid, to ease the burden on the NHS. But, while some patients' groups welcomed the move, they said self-testing would not be for everyone.