The NHS Health Check programme has been developed to prevent heart disease, diabetes, stroke and kidney disease. If you are aged 40-74 years and have not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions, you will be invited once every five years to have a Health Check to assess your risk of developing one of these diseases.

You will be given advice to help reduce or manage your risk of disease. The checks include height and weight measurement, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, alcohol screening, physical activity levels, family history of heart disease, blood pressure measurement, cholesterol measurement and a diabetes test as appropriate. In Shropshire you will be invited to have a Health Check by your surgery.

We all know that we shouldn't be overweight, should not smoke, should do more exercise, should drink less - but what the NHS Health Check offers you is a chance, once every five years, to have a personal assessment of how your lifestyle choices are impacting on your health, particularly your Cardiovascular Health.

At your NHS Health Check you will be given advice about making small changes now that can stop you having a heart attack or stroke later.

More information can be found at www.healthcheck.nhs.uk, the main NHS Health Check Website. If you would like to see how you are, while you are waiting for your NHS Health Check, go to www.youngerhearts.co.uk.

To make an appointment for your FREE NHS HEALTH CHECK please contact the surgery to make an appointment with one of our trained Health Care Assistants.