BOURNEMOUTH residents are at “increased risk” of cardiovascular disease, a new report has said.

The town has been named the second-least proactive in England, according to the report by GP provider Medicspot.

The report compares regional NHS data on the uptake of the free NHS Health Checks service, which is offered to everyone aged 40 to 74-years-old to prevent premature death from heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.

According to the report, only 16 per cent of the 53,762 eligible people in Bournemouth have claimed their free NHS Health Check which is the second-lowest in England, after East Riding in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Dr Johnson D’souza, Medical Director and GP at Medicspot, advised: “People aged 40–74 who don’t get a Health Check every 5 years are at an increased risk of undetected cardiovascular disease.”

He added: “It is very worrying that only 16% of people who are eligible for a free NHS Health Check in Bournemouth have taken up the offer. This is significantly below the national average of 43%.”

The report also shows that only 0.8 per cent of the 53,762 people who are eligible for a free NHS Health Check were offered one from 2018–2019.

It comes after research revealed free NHS checks reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study found that over a six-year period, participants of the Health Check programme had lost weight, lowered blood pressure and fewer were smokers.

People in Bournemouth who are aged 40–74 can get a free NHS Health Check from their GP or local pharmacy.

Those eligible normally receive a letter from their GP or local authority inviting them for a health check every five years.

However, people can also request one by asking their GP or by contacting BCP Council.

To see the report visit medicspot.co.uk/reports/proactive-report-2019