Local Health Checks Rolled Out

A £10 million new wave of preventative care programmes is to go live across Scotland later this year, it has been announced. Services will be developed in south Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fife, North and East Ayrshire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire.

The move expands on an initial wave of programmes which was announced in October. ‘Keep Well’ services are already operating in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and North Lanarkshire.

In advance of a parliamentary debate on local health services, Health Minister Andy Kerr said: “We are moving from a culture of treating ill-health to preventing it, as locally as possible. This means targeting resources where they are needed most and designing services which are easier for the public to use. Keep Well is a new and ambitious approach to engage with people who have not traditionally made best use of health services – reaching out to those who may be at risk and learning wider lessons for the NHS.

“I am delighted that a further wave of Keep Well services will become operational later this year. These enhanced services will mean more direct and targeted interventions than ever before. These will be world leading services, aimed at those with high risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, poor diet, smoking, alcohol misuse and inactive lifestyles.

“Services will aim to offer appointments in evenings and weekends to ensure there are no barriers to access, outreach workers will contact patients through phone calls and other means.”