Participating pharmacies are being paid £15 per test to offer the service, which is a joint initiative between NHS England (NHSE), Community Pharmacy North East London (CPNEL), North East and North Central London ICB, Heart UK, and UCLPartners.  

CPNEL chief executive Shilpa Shah told C+D it would “love this to roll out as an add-on to the hypertension case finding service nationally along with Hb1aC [blood test] in the future”. 

“Community Pharmacies are accessible, most don’t require an appointment, so we are well placed to offer full health checks as part of the prevention agenda,” she said. 

Read more: Boots expands at-home testing kits range with 13 new products 

NHSE chief pharmaceutical officer David Webb visited Lansbury Pharmacy last month to do the test, describing it as a “great initiative” that showed the “collaboration between the community pharmacy, hospital, integrated care system and local pharmaceutical committee - tackling health inequalities and harnessing cholesterol testing, blood pressure checks and the independent prescribing pathfinder programme”. 

Prevention 

Barts Health NHS Trust said the pilot “aligns with the new NHS 10-year plan, which puts prevention at the heart of healthcare” and will help people get checked at “convenient, trusted” pharmacies. 

UCLPartners said “by placing it where people already go, prevention becomes a normal part of care, helping people understand their health and get support earlier”.  

Read more: Superdrug rolls out at-home cardiovascular disease test 

It comes as Boots this month announced the launch of 13 new at-home testing kits, including one testing for high cholesterol “without needing to see a GP”.