My Weekly’s favourite GP Dr Sarah Jarvis from TV and radio writes for you
When the NHS came into being – and even when I first became a GP 33 years ago – most of the average GP’s work was about treating people who were ill. We worked in practices with a nurse, a few receptionists and a couple of office staff.
These days, it’s very different indeed. Possibly up to half my work is about prevention, primarily preventing issues such as heart attacks and strokes. We also monitor many people with long-term conditions like diabetes to keep their risk of complications low.
In addition, every practice has a wider mix of healthcare staff, including healthcare assistants and often a practice-based pharmacist.
The team works together to provide screening and monitoring to keep patients healthy. Much of this change in focus towards prevention has been driven by improvements in knowledge about (and medications to control) blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. But we also have much better screening – which can pick up conditions like cancer earlier or even prevent them happening.
Deaths from heart attack and stroke have plummeted in the last 50 years – they’re four times less common today than they were in 1969.
This has been driven partly by improvements in treatment for people having heart attacks. But most of it is down to GPs identifying and treating major risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol.
While raised cholesterol and blood pressure are two of the biggest causes of heart attack and stroke, they very rarely cause any symptoms until they lead to a medical emergency. That’s why it’s so important to have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked – at least every five years once you’re over 40 and more often if you’re advised to.
The NHS Health Checks programme provides everyone aged 40-75 with a free health check every five years (as long as you’re not already having regular checks for conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes). It’s usually offered through your GP practice or local pharmacy. The health conditions picked up by the check are the biggest causes of preventable deaths in the UK, so it’s well worth booking one. You can ask your GP
