Smarter targeting and supported communications increased completions 2.6x across 4 GP practices, within existing appointment capacity.
Redmoor Health worked with Lancashire County Council and four GP practices to test whether NHS Health Check outcomes could be improved by increasing both completed checks and early identification of previously unrecognised risk, through targeted identification, clearer communications and easier booking.
Over 12 weeks, practices implemented a supported, cohort-based approach: risk-focused patient searches, paced invitation cohorts aligned to capacity, redesigned SMS invitations with clearer reassurance and reminders, and direct booking routes where available. Patients were segmented into cohorts, with tailored messaging based on likely barriers to engagement so invitations felt more relevant and credible for different groups. Alongside SMS, the programme used practice-branded reinforcement communications, including managed practice social media content and short AI avatar explainer videos, to build familiarity and reduce uncertainty about what an NHS Health Check involves.
No additional clinical appointment capacity was funded. The focus was improving how invitations were targeted and communicated so more people booked and attended, while increasing the number of patients flagged with risk or unmet need, within existing appointment capacity.
Pilot results at a glance
+156
+174
-5.4
0
+625
100
What the pilot demonstrated
Interest from practices was oversubscribed, with 29 practices requesting inclusion in a four-practice pilot, indicating strong appetite and clear opportunity to scale this supported approach.
This pilot tested a practical support model that helps practices run NHS Health Checks in a predictable, sustainable way: prioritised cohorts, clearer invitations, easier booking, reinforcement communications, and live progress tracking.
Across the four practices, the approach delivered a substantial increase in completed Health Checks and a corresponding increase in patients flagged with risk or unmet need, without requiring additional clinics to be created.
The evaluation also showed that impact was driven by how recall was designed and supported, not simply by issuing more invitations. Practices using more selective targeting and paced cohorts achieved higher attendance efficiency and identified more patients with new or previously unrecognised risk.
This matters because it offers a repeatable method councils can scale across practices, improving prevention impact without funding additional clinics.
Commissioned support
A joined-up package of:
- Practice delivery coordination and weekly support
- Cohort targeting and recall design (including search logic and prioritisation)
- Patient communications (SMS invite and reminder templates, plus tailored
cohort messaging) - Reinforcement communications (practice-branded assets, short explainer
- Content, and social content where appropriate, including AI avatar formats)
- A live progress dashboard for delivery tracking and commissioner assurance
Example Social Media Posts
The Delivery Approach
The pilot combined four elements that work best when delivered together:
”I’ve never seen such uptake, especially among 40 to 50-year-old men. Our uptake was fantastic, and having the targeted wording provided made a huge difference.
Practice ManagerAsh Trees Surgery
Where the model fits
This model is suited to councils who want to:
- increase completions without funding additional clinical capacity
- reduce variation across practices through a consistent delivery method
- strengthen reach and consistency in underserved groups
- maintain grip and assurance through live progress tracking
- scale a repeatable approach across a locality or county footprint
”The avatars and the messaging you put together for us have been really, really good, especially focusing on different groups of people. We’ve always struggled to get men to come in for Health Checks, and we’ve definitely seen a wider spread of people coming in.
Practice ManagerGarstang Medical Practice
