A new five-minute lifestyle quiz introduced by the NHS has encountered significant criticism from voters, particularly due to its unfortunate timing just days before Chancellor Rachel Reeves' anticipated budget announcement. The government-backed questionnaire promises to help Britons 'boost your mood and energy' through personalised lifestyle advice.
What the NHS Quiz Involves
The digital assessment provides participants with a straightforward evaluation of their overall lifestyle, scoring them out of ten across various categories including diet, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and exercise frequency. The Department for Health and Social Care launched the initiative with a promotional video featuring popular radio and television presenters Melvin Odoom and Rickie Haywood-Williams.
The quiz extends beyond physical health to assess mental wellbeing, asking participants how frequently they experience positive moods and whether they encounter feelings of anxiety or stress. Alongside the numerical score out of ten, users receive qualitative ratings such as 'great job' or 'try to improve' for different aspects of their lifestyle.
The questionnaire makes practical recommendations including opting for cheaper tinned vegetables instead of fresh produce and directs users toward NHS applications designed to support reducing alcohol intake or quitting smoking.
Criticism and Timing Concerns
The launch timing has drawn particular scrutiny, with the quiz asking Britons about their worries merely a day before the Chancellor's budget announcement, which many expect to significantly impact businesses, savings, and property taxes. Wellbeing coach and psychologist Sarah Gatford expressed serious reservations about the approach.
'I scored nine out of ten, which sounds brilliant, except my score tells you precisely nothing about my actual well-being,' Gatford noted. 'There's no nuance here, no consideration of circumstances or the messy reality of people's lives. If you're genuinely struggling - anxious about money, caring responsibilities, job insecurity - a five-minute quiz and generic NHS links won't cut through.'
Gatford added that the timing felt 'particularly tone deaf', suggesting the government was promoting individual lifestyle adjustments while the nation prepared for systemic economic challenges. She described the quiz as equivalent to someone shouting 'just eat better and move more!' across a crowded room.
Broader Reactions and Support
Patricia McGirr, founder of the Repossession Rescue Network assisting those facing home loss, characterised the quiz as 'a morale booster from a government that knows tempers are fraying.' She questioned its value when people were primarily concerned about employment, bills, and mortgage stability.
Sam Kirk, managing director of J-Flex, offered a similarly critical perspective: 'Nothing lifts the nation's mood quite like a quiz from the people who caused half the stress in the first place. If they actually delivered the things they've been promising for years, we probably wouldn't need a morale-boosting quiz in the first place.'
However, the initiative received some support from Colette Mason, a former IT systems engineer who had previously worked with government agencies. She praised the NHS for providing 'clear, customised evidence-based advice' as an alternative to searching online. 'This approach to healthier choices and better self-management skills, however simplistic now, has to be welcomed,' Mason remarked.
The quiz's celebrity supporters, Rickie Haywood-Williams and Melvin Odoom, presented it positively in their promotional video. Haywood-Williams described it as 'quick, easy, and gives you a clear picture of where you're at with your health,' while Odoom appreciated the 'realistic changes that really fit my lifestyle.'
The Department of Health and Social Care defended the initiative, telling media outlets that the quiz aims to guide people toward better lifestyle choices to reduce illness risks. A spokesperson explained: 'This quiz provides personalised advice and connects people to a range of free NHS apps and resources that can support them on their journey to better health.'
The spokesperson added that the initiative supports the NHS's 10 Year Health Plan, shifting focus from treating sickness to preventing it, and noted record government investment in health services following 'more than a decade of neglect.'
