Evaluation of the NHS Health Check programme: working with people and communities workstream
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN13499640 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13499640 |
| Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) | 360252 |
| Central Portfolio Management System (CPMS) | 70165 |
| Cabinet Office Evaluation Accelerator Fund (EAF) Grant Code | EAF-IMPERIAL-NOVA |
| Sponsor | Imperial College London |
| Funder | UK Government Evaluation Accelerator Fund (Phase 4, 2025-26) |
- Submission date
- 19/02/2026
- Registration date
- 13/03/2026
- Last edited
- 13/03/2026
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
The NHS Health Check is a free check offered every five years to people aged 40 to 74 who don’t already have particular diagnosed health conditions. It aims to spot early signs of heart and circulation conditions and help prevent them. However, only about half of those eligible attend.
This study will use questionnaires and interviews with patients who do not attend NHS Health Checks. Examining this information aims to improve our understanding of the barriers to attendance, how to support more people to attend, and how the process could be improved. This workstream is part of a government-funded evaluation of the NHS Health Check programme.
The study aims to develop a Theory of Change model to demonstrate how we can increase the positive impact of the NHS Health Check programme. It will identify and measure the main reasons why people do not attend NHS Health Checks, understand how different groups of people face different barriers to attending NHS Health Checks, and characterise the cohort spectrum from non-attendees who may need a lot of support to attend, to those who may readily attend but have been missed.
Who can participate?
Adults aged 40–74 years who have not attended the NHS Health Check programme in the past 5 years.
What does the study involve?
The study involves questionnaires and interviews with patients who do not attend NHS Health Checks.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants will learn more about the NHS Health Check programme, which may lead to them attending this preventative, beneficial health check. No significant risks expected.
Where is the study run from?
Imperial College London, UK.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
December 2025 to March 2026.
Who is funding the study?
UK Government Evaluation Accelerator Fund (Phase 4, 2025-26)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Holly Young, hyoung1@ic.ac.uk
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal investigator
Imperial College London, School of Public Health, White City Campus, 90 Wood Lane
London
W12 0BZ
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-4631-6700 |
|---|---|
| hyoung1@ic.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Allocation | N/A: single arm study |
| Masking | Open (masking not used) |
| Control | Uncontrolled |
| Assignment | Single |
| Purpose | Treatment |
| Scientific title | NOVA NHS Health Check programme evaluation: working with people and communities workstream |
| Study acronym | NOVA |
| Study objectives | 1. Develop a Theory of Change model to improve engagement, attendance, and impact of the NHS Health Check Programme 2. Quantify themes characterising non-attendance of NHS Health Checks 3. Stratify barriers to engagement and attendance by patient characteristics 4. Stratify “impactability” to characterise the cohort spectrum from those non-attendees needing the most intensive engagement to those who might readily attend but have been missed |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 20/11/2025, North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee (2 Redman Place, Stratford, London, E20 1JQ, United Kingdom; -; newcastlenorthtyneside2.rec@hra.nhs.uk), ref: 25/NE/0203 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Persons encountering health services for examination and investigation |
| Intervention | The design is a mixed-methods design, incorporating qualitative data collection methods, which will include semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The Theoretical Domains Framework informed the design of the questionnaire and the semistructured interview guide. Sections of the Theoretical Domains Framework that were not relevant to our research question or the specific intervention of NHS Health Checks were excluded when designing the questionnaire and interview guide. Inclusion criteria include being eligible for an NHS Health Check and not attending. Exclusion criteria are patients who are not eligible for an NHS Health Check or attended an NHS Health Check in the last five years. Questionnaires will be distributed electronically, and paper copies will also be available in the GP surgery reception. At the GP surgery, posters will be used to aid recruitment. The electronic questionnaire responses will be collected and stored securely on the Qualtrics survey platform. The paper copies will be manually entered into the Qualtrics platform to be stored together with the rest. These will only be available to the research team. Questionnaires: Questionnaires will be created using the Imperial College London Qualtrics platform. Questionnaires will be distributed electronically, and paper copies will be opportunistically offered during consultations and be available in the GP surgery reception. In cases where a paper copy of the questionnaire is given to the patient, they will also be given paper copies of the patient information sheet and the consent form. The preferred option is for the electronic completion of the survey on the Qualtrics platform. If an individual does not have access to an electronic device to do this, or this would be a barrier to them completing the survey, then we also have the option for this to be completed on paper to increase accessibility. Posters with QR codes to complete the survey will be available to be given to patients who have not attended an NHS Health Check. The direct care team will contact patients on the telephone to offer support in completing the questionnaire and to answer any questions. Paper questionnaires will be manually input into Qualtrics by a member of the research team. At the end of the questionnaire, the last question will provide an opportunity for participants to indicate if they would like to take part in an interview. However, completing the questionnaire is not a prerequisite for taking part in the semistructured interview. The direct care team will also contact patients directly during clinical contacts if appropriate, at the reception desk, or on the telephone, to offer the opportunity to participate. Semi-structured interviews: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted by co-investigators listed on this protocol from Imperial College London. Participants will take part in a single 1-1 interview expected to last around 45 minutes. This can be scheduled at their earliest convenience within 4 weeks of being invited. Individuals will be recruited who have indicated on the questionnaire that they may be interested in completing an interview. They will be contacted using the email address they provided to arrange the interview. In addition, the direct care team will telephone or opportunistically ask in person to establish if individuals are interested in participating. The direct care team recruiting individuals is important for a representative sample to be reached, so that we are not interviewing only patients who respond to the electronic means of invitation sent for the questionnaire initially. Interviews can be conducted remotely (phone call or video call) or in-person at a location agreed with the individual (e.g. GP practice or community setting). This variety of options offered aims to increase accessibility for individuals who would be interested in taking part. Remotely, there will be two options available. A Microsoft Teams call with audio recording would be the preferred option, and what would be offered first to individuals. However, some individuals may not have access to Microsoft Teams, so we will offer, if preferred, a recorded phone call option. Recording would be using Microsoft Teams. In-person options include a consultation room at the GP surgery or community settings with which the GP surgery already has established local links, for example, the community centre, which is in close geographical proximity, where there are regular events organised by the GP surgery. Offering this option again is with the aim to increase accessibility to facilitate participation for those who may prefer not attend the GP surgery and may feel more comfortable in a community setting. If the interview or questionnaire has been completed in person, there will be the option to receive a voucher in-person where this is available. If completed online, there is the option for the individual to provide their email address to be provided with the voucher. Participants will be reimbursed for their time with a £30 voucher for questionnaire completion and with a £50 voucher for participating in semi-structured interviews. No interim analysis is planned. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
|
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) | |
| Completion date | 31/03/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 40 Years |
| Upper age limit | 74 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 230 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Adults aged 40–74 years 2. Without pre-existing diabetes or CVD 3. Has not attended an NHS Health Check in the last 5 years |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Adults younger than 40 and older than 74 years 2. Has pre-existing diabetes or CVD 3. Attended NHS Health Check in the last 5 years |
| Date of first enrolment | 05/12/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/03/2026 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centre
Paddington
London
W2 5EH
England
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| IPD sharing plan |
Editorial Notes
19/02/2026: Study's existence confirmed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (UK).
