The NHS health check, and where a private one fits

If you are aged 40 to 74 in England without a pre-existing condition, the NHS offers you a free health check every five years, and it is a good thing to take up. It looks at your heart and circulation risk with the right bloods, checks your blood pressure, height and weight, and gives you a risk score and advice, all aimed at catching the early signs of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. When your invitation comes, use it.

A private check is for when you want one outside that. Perhaps you are under 40, or it is not yet your year in the cycle, or you would like a wider blood panel, an examination, or a written report to keep, or you would rather do it online and at a time that suits you. The bloods are real medicine either way; what you are choosing is the timing, the depth and the format.

So if your NHS check is due, take it; it covers a lot of people well. If you want something sooner, broader, or in a form the programme does not offer, that is what we are here for. Both are good choices, and the right one is the one that fits where you are.

Ready to start? Choose the check that fits your question and tell us a little about yourself. A doctor reviews it, arranges what you need, and explains what it means. Most of it is done online, with the clinic there if you would rather be seen.