Just checking

The idea of a postcode lottery often claims attention: a recent article in BMC Public Health considers how far this term can be applied to the outworkings of the Health Check as delivered in North West London. The study looked at how NHS Health Checks worked in 8 PCTs in the area, finding considerable variation, with substantial differences in funding levels and in how the programme was interpreted and implemented. Another study, this time from Stoke on Trent, looks at options for cost effective delivery of the Health Checks programme, comparing drop in clinics with booked appointments and considering the merits of targeting particular age groups.