One in seven with severe mental illness miss crucial health checks in Ipswich

The big picture: The NHS aims to provide comprehensive annual health checks for people with severe mental illnesses, but is falling short of its targets in some areas.

Why it matters: Andy Bell, chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, explains: "Tragically, people with severe mental illness have a 15-20 year shorter life expectancy than the general population. This is unacceptable, but it's not inevitable."

By the numbers:

• 2,147 out of 2,483 patients (86%) on the severe mental illness register in the former NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG area received all required check-ups in the year to March

• This is up from 75% the year before

• Across England, 361,210 patients (68% of those registered) received all physical health checks

• The NHS target was 390,000 people for 2023-24, which was missed

Key details: The annual health checks include:

• Blood and urine tests

• Alcohol, smoking, and body mass index assessments

• Discussion of medication and vaccination status

• Addressing other physical health issues

Zooming in: In the former NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG area:

• The most common check was for smoking assessment (96% of people)

• The least-attended was the blood lipid check (91%)

Between the lines: Stuti Bagri, researcher at the Nuffield Trust, points out: "These checks are the first step in the right direction but hold little value if deployed alone. What happens next is crucial. If checks aren't followed up by meaningful advice or intervention (which are not currently recorded), it's difficult to know what the real impact is."

What they're saying: An NHS England spokesperson stated: "NHS staff are working incredibly hard to deliver more physical health checks and follow-up interventions for people with severe mental illness than ever before, with a record 360,000 people receiving checks last year."

What's next: The NHS is asking local systems to fund outreach programmes to increase uptake of these checks and ensure policies are in place for patients requiring intensive treatment for severe mental illness.