Published: 09:45 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 09:53 BST, 31 August 2026
A simple cholesterol test will be offered at high street pharmacies in an NHS bid to slash heart attack and stroke deaths over the next decade.
The finger-prick blood test, which takes just seven minutes to complete, will be rolled out at around 100 pharmacies this autumn.
Around six in ten adults in England have high cholesterol – when too much fatty plaques build up in the blood – which can clog the arteries and lead to heart attack and stroke.
However, most Britons are unaware that they have it, earning it the nickname of 'silent killer'.
It's estimated that 170,000 deaths every year in the UK are caused by heart attack and stroke.
Health chiefs hope the roll out of the new test, which will be free for patients to walk in to a pharmacy and take, can cut such deaths by a quarter over the next ten years.
Adults aged between 40 and 84 will be eligible if they have not received a blood test from the NHS in the past year.
The results of the tests, which are done by pricking the finger using a lancet – a small, sharp tool that pierces the skin – will be analysed immediately.
The finger-prick blood test, which takes just seven minutes to complete, will be rolled out at around 100 pharmacies from this autumn
Once complete, prescribing pharmacists can then provide lifestyle advice and say whether treatment like statins – medicines used to lower cholesterol – are required.
Patients will be emailed their results and also offered a blood pressure check.
Dr Rani Khatib, an NHS adviser on heart disease prevention, said: 'This will help people manage their risk factors earlier and reduce their risk of having heart attack or strokes.'
David Webb, chief pharmaceutical officer for NHS England, added: 'We can spot ticking time bombs earlier by making it easier for people to get a quick and convenient health check on their local high street.
'This is the latest in a series of initiatives involving pharmacies delivering care previously only offered in GP surgeries.'
