Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, supported by the British Heart Foundation and using PocDoc’s clinically validated technology, is helping improve early detection and prevention of cardiovascular disease across Greater Manchester.
Initiative aims to save 5,460 Mancunian lives a year
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), is launching a programme to deliver thousands of neighbourhood cardiovascular health checks across Greater Manchester using PocDoc‘s clinically validated Healthy Heart Check technology.
The initiative comes as Health Innovation Manchester research highlights the scale of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) challenge facing the region. CVD causes approximately 5,460 deaths every year across Greater Manchester¹ and costs the region an estimated £2.53 billion annually through healthcare costs, social care pressures, productivity losses and wider societal impacts².
Using PocDoc’s clinically validated Healthy Heart Check technology, residents will be able to complete a cardiovascular assessment in minutes using a finger prick blood sample and smartphone enabled diagnostics. The checks provide users with insights including cholesterol levels, NHS heart age and a 10 year risk assessment for heart attacks and strokes.
The rollout is designed to improve access to heart health screening among communities less likely to engage with traditional healthcare settings, supporting earlier intervention and helping reduce pressure on NHS services.
The need for the initiative is acute. Healthcare costs in Manchester linked to CVD alone are estimated at £472 million annually, while around 70% of the overall burden is associated with modifiable risk factors including high blood pressure, poor diet, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity⁴.
Significant health inequalities also exist across the region. CVD prevalence among over 65s is substantially higher in the most deprived communities compared with the least deprived areas⁵, while physically inactive people over 65 are significantly more likely to experience cardiovascular disease⁶.
Steve Roest, CEO and co-founder of PocDoc, said: “Cardiovascular disease remains one of the biggest health challenges facing communities across Greater Manchester, both in terms of lives lost and the wider impact on families, communities and the healthcare system.
“PocDoc working with the British Heart Foundation and Health Innovation Manchesterdemonstrates how neighbourhood healthcare and digital diagnostics can work together to bring preventative screening directly into communities.
“By making clinically validated heart health checks more accessible through local hubs and mobile clinics, we can help more people understand their cardiovascular risk earlier and support intervention before serious conditions develop.”
Ben Bridgewater, Chief Executive of Health Innovation Manchester, said: “This project is a powerful example of how we are delivering on our vision to improve the lives of local people by accelerating innovation where it is needed most. By bringing NHS Health Checks directly into communities and combining them with rapid, point of care testing, we are addressing some of the most significant drivers of cardiovascular disease and health inequality.
“Working in partnership across the NHS, academia, industry and the voluntary sector, this programme reflects our commitment to deploying innovation at scale, supporting earlier intervention, and ensuring that advances in care reach those who are traditionally underserved.”
