Cholesterol testing expanded to 70 pharmacies

A scheme to provide free cholesterol tests is being expanded to 70 pharmacies in east London.

The project, which run by St Bartholomew's Hospital, builds on a trial in 13 pharmacies which ran last year. It aims to spot the early signs of serious cardiovascular conditions.

A seven-minute finger-prick blood test has been developed to show a patient's cholesterol levels and help estimate the risk of heart problems over the following 10 years.

Sotiris Antoniou, the programme's clinical lead, said about 1,000 people had had their cholesterol levels tested so far with 163 being identified as at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Fifty patients went on to be put on cholesterol-lowering therapies through the pharmacy rather than having to go through their GP.

"What we're trying to do is pick up people in order to identify them as high risk, in order to prevent them from having heart attacks," Antoniou said.

"We know that the cost of treatment for having a heart attack is far more expensive than trying to prevent somebody having a heart attack."

The service also connects people to support for healthier living, including advice on diet, exercise and quitting smoking.

Speaking to BBC London at a participating pharmacy in Poplar, Antoniou said the programme was being piloted in "more socially deprived areas" due to the higher risk of cardiovascular conditions in those communities.

"We try to incorporate community pharmacies in order to improve the accessibility for testing, in order to pick up those people at high risk and get them on treatment before they come into hospital," he added.

Shilpa Patel, a patient who took up the free test offer in Poplar, said: "My parents suffered with high cholesterol. My dad died at an early age of a heart attack.

"I think for me I'm at an age where I should try and stay on top of these things."

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said the programme was part of efforts to make more services available within pharmacies to reduce pressure on GP surgeries.

"The scheme is currently being evaluated, so they'll be able to compare the costs and the savings that are made as a consequence," he said.

If found to be successful, Jones said cholesterol tests at pharmacies could be rolled out nationally.

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