Around 100 NHS pharmacies in England will soon offer seven-minute cholesterol checks in a bid to reduce the number of heart disease and stroke deaths. The checks, available at local high-street pharmacies, are designed to identify “ticking time bombs earlier” and help prevent heart attacks and strokes, according to NHS bosses. The initiative is part of an NHS drive to cut heart disease and stroke deaths by a quarter over the next decade.
Who can get the test
The test is open to anyone aged 40 to 84 who is not pregnant and has not had a blood test in the past year. Eligible patients can walk into a participating pharmacy for the quick pin-prick test, which analyses their cholesterol profile in just seven minutes. Pharmacists will then offer personalised lifestyle advice and determine whether any treatment is needed. Patients will receive a copy of their results by email. Eligible people will also be offered a blood pressure check as part of a clinical consultation with a pharmacist prescriber.
Officials back the rollout
David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer for England, said: “Your local pharmacy can be a vital first line of defence against serious illness. By making it easier for people to get a quick and convenient cholesterol health check on their local high street, we can spot ticking time bombs earlier, helping people take action, and prevent heart attacks and strokes before they happen.”
Health Minister Alison McGovern added: “This programme is exactly the type of innovation we want to see across the NHS. By making it possible to get a cholesterol check in just seven minutes at a local pharmacy, we're making it easier for people to spot potential problems earlier and take action to protect their health. Early detection can help prevent serious conditions such as heart attacks and strokes, helping people stay healthier for longer while reducing pressure on NHS services.”
Pilot results and next steps
The initiative will launch across around 100 pharmacies in England this autumn and run until spring 2027. It follows a smaller pilot in north London, run by Barts Health NHS Trust in collaboration with UCLPartners and HEART UK. That pilot tested 2,493 patients at 61 community pharmacies between January 2025 and March 2026, with 19 per cent found suitable for pharmacological intervention and 88 people started on statins.
Dr Sotiris Antoniou, Divisional Director for Clinical Services at Barts Health NHS Trust and clinical lead for the initiative, said: “This national programme builds on our experience of developing a robust, quality-assured model for point-of-care testing in community pharmacy. By scaling this approach across England, we can support pharmacists to identify cardiovascular risk earlier and, importantly, act on the results through timely advice and treatment. This has the potential to improve outcomes and reduce health inequalities, particularly in communities where the burden of cardiovascular disease is greatest.”
Chris Laing, CEO of UCLPartners, added: “We're committed to helping proven innovations reach and benefit more patients so it’s great to see this initiative go from north London to pharmacies across England. Our evidence showed that one in five people tested in north London were found to be at high risk of heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years. By detecting risk earlier, pharmacies were able to offer lifestyle advice or refer people to a GP for treatment sooner - benefits that can now be replicated for people across England.”
