The Executive Decision meeting of Waltham Forest Council, scheduled for Monday 16 March 2026, is set to consider proposals for the recommissioning of the NHS Health Check programme. This meeting is not open to the public.

NHS Health Check Programme

The primary item scheduled for discussion is the commissioning of the NHS Health Check (NHSHC) service. This is a mandated statutory Public Health service established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which requires local authorities to commission the risk assessment component, funded by the ring-fenced Public Health Grant (PHG).

The report outlines that the NHSHC service has been managed by local authorities since 2013. It is described as a cardiovascular risk assessment process offered every five years to adults aged between 40 and 74 who do not have a pre-existing long-term condition. The programme aims to identify early signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD), encouraging lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, or reducing alcohol consumption. Individuals identified with long-term conditions are referred to appropriate care pathways.

Waltham Forest has commissioned this service from all 39 GP practices in the borough. This has been supplemented by contracts with the Waltham Forest Federated GP network (FedNet) to support practices lacking the capacity to deliver the service, and a pilot programme through E4 Primary Care Network (PCN). The report indicates that Waltham Forest has performed well in delivering the NHSHC, with over 60% of eligible patients receiving a check in 2024/25, ranking the borough in the top five nationally. Future service specifications will include a greater focus on measuring quality outcomes and targeting invitations to residents at higher risk of CVD. The estimated annual budget for the 2026/27 year for Healthcheck delivery is £260,000.

The report suggests that continuing the current service delivery model, which includes individual GP practices, support from the GP Federation, and the option of PCN pilots, is the most viable approach. Consultation has been undertaken with PCN leads, primary care leads within the Integrated Care Board, the Local Medical Committee, the GP Federation, and GP practices.

The proposals are to be funded entirely from the ring-fenced public health grant, with an allocation of £260,000 for the 2026/27 financial year. The payment structure is a single tariff per completed NHSHC, which is stated to represent good value for money when compared to other areas. The service is primarily delivered at GP surgeries, with an encouragement for GPs to use point-of-care testing to reduce the number of appointments. Data is recorded on patients' existing GP records, and referrals to lifestyle services are made electronically. The council will not hold personal or patient-identifiable data, receiving only aggregated data quarterly. The Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG), part of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), will continue to support the provision of performance and payment dashboards under a separate contract.

The NHSHC programme aligns with national government ambitions to increase healthy life expectancy and narrow health inequalities, as well as the Department of Health's Major Conditions Strategy, the NHS Long Term Plan, and the National Diabetes Prevention Programme. Locally, it contributes to Waltham Forest's priorities for making the borough a great place to live and age well, and supports the North East London Integrated Care Partnership's priority around long-term conditions.