An assessment and management programme that aims to prevent heart disease and stroke in vulnerable patients is being launched in Durham next week.

The NHS County Durham and NHS Darlington Assessment and Management Pathway will be launched as part of an NHS Health Checks event on Wednesday 8 July at the Durham Centre, Belmont Industrial Estate in Durham at 10am.

The aim of the programme is to prevent heart disease and stroke by identifying people at high risk and intervening to try and reduce the risk of future events.

77 GP surgeries across County Durham and Darlington have signed up to the assessment programme and, over the last six months, have been contacting patients to call in for a risk assessment.

People registered with a GP in County Durham and Darlington aged 40-74 can also arrange for an assessment themselves by making an appointment with their GP.

At the assessment, patients will be asked a number of basic lifestyle questions and have their height, weight and waist circumference measured. A simple blood test will also be carried out to check sugar and cholesterol levels. This information will be used to determine the level of risk for each patient from heart disease and stroke and an action plan will be drawn up between the patient and their GP.

Dr Richard Healicon, Specialty Registrar in Public Health for County Durham and Darlington said: “In County Durham and Darlington, we have been working for over a year to develop a cardiovascular disease risk assessment pathway and have been actively involved in a national learning network to develop best practice.

“We’re delighted that 77 of our GP practices have signed up to the programme and have already begun calling in people for a risk assessment.

“We are also working very closely with our community pharmacists to provide risk assessments as part of a pilot scheme which, if successful, we hope to roll out across County Durham and Darlington.”

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