Cumbria Health and PocDoc Healthy Heart Check programme records uptake levels for Digital Home Health Checks

Cambridge, UK, 17th February: PocDoc, the UK’s leading digital health diagnostics company today reports that the NHS programme of home screening in partnership with Cumbria Health has recorded a utilisation rate of over 90% since October 2024.¹

PocDoc partnered with Cumbria Health on the project as part of a nationally commissioned programme of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention funded by the Department of Health. The partnership, commissioned by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council, will see over 9,000 Healthy Heart Checks delivered to workplaces and homes across the Northwest of England.

The initial reporting means that over 90%² of those invited to take PocDoc’s Healthy Heart Check went on to use the app and do the test. This is the best-ever utilisation figure for a screening initiative supported by the NHS, with the best-performing test prior to this being the health service’s Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, which recorded a 68.9%³ uptake.

PocDoc’s ‘Healthy Heart Check’ offers patients a comprehensive cholesterol profile, body mass index score, NHS heart age, and a ten-year risk assessment for heart attacks or stroke. Carried out via a phone, it helps identify people at risk of CVD easily and quickly, so they can treat or prevent their condition before it develops, with no need to visit a GP or hospital for testing.

Cumbria is one of the UK’s most rural and sparsely populated areas, with patients noting long travel distances and difficult public transport as reasons for not attending GP appointments, including their NHS Health Check. The initiative aligns with Cumbria Health’s commitment to preventative care and digital innovation.

The success of the partnership highlights the importance of preventative testing for chronic diseases and the power of providing accessible at-home screening options for underserved communities. The data shows that 93% of Cumbria health employees found the test more convenient than going to a GP⁴. The initiative also recorded an NPS score of 78 across all employees, which puts the service ahead of brands like Apple, Samsung and Netflix in terms of positive user sentiment. ⁵

The results show the major promise that at-home diagnostics hold in detecting these diseases. Over two-thirds (69%)⁶ of those tested via the Cumbria Health partnership were either overweight or obese, and 78%⁷ had never done a cholesterol test in the last 5 years.

Using PocDoc’s real-time clinical dashboard, high risk patients are triaged in real time into the correct post-screen treatment pathways, including follow up with specially trained clinicians. 71% of users were recommended lifestyle & dietary changes, while 16% were directed into CVD treatment pathways⁸.

With the NHS estimating that each digital health check could save 20 minutes of NHS time⁹ this partnership provides further evidence of the potential of digital diagnostics to transform patient care and the UK health service, supporting the Government’s ambitions of shifting care out of GP surgeries to home and community environments.

This project builds on PocDoc’s activity in the North East of England, and its shared vision with Cumbria Health for accessible, preventative health care. It comes just after PocDoc secured new multi-year funding from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to expand its partnership with Health Innovation Northeast and North Cumbria to roll out Healthy Heart Checks to communities in the region.

Steve Roest, CEO and Co-Founder of PocDoc said: 

“We are delighted with the initial results of this partnership. Working closely with Cumbria Health on this nationally commissioned programme, in just six months we’ve already recorded record uptake rates for an NHS-backed screening initiative.

“The results are a clear indication that people want to take a proactive approach to their health, and that the solution to meeting this demand is increasing accessibility. Our Healthy Heart Check gives individuals the opportunity to do just that.

“We have been hugely impressed by the innovative approach being taken by the NHS and the Department of Health regarding scaling access to vital preventative screening - particularly in the North East.

We are very grateful for all NHS partners across the UK and are excited to match or even exceed these positive results in in other regions.”

Richard McGregor, Head of Digital and Performance at Cumbria Health said:

“We are thrilled to see the initial results of this initiative, which highlight the power of digital-first solutions in delivering preventative healthcare at scale. This partnership with PocDoc is enabling us to proactively identify individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease and support them in making healthier choices before conditions develop.

“By making screening more accessible, especially in rural communities, we are not only improving individual health outcomes but also helping to reduce long-term pressures on NHS services. We’re proud to be working with PocDoc on this important step toward a more preventative and patient-focused healthcare system for our communities.”