WIREDGOV

Online assessments and community-based support will enable over-50s in Wales to assess and improve their own health, Health Minister Lesley Griffiths announced yesterday.

It is a Programme for Government commitment to introduce health checks for people aged over 50. The aim is to support and empower people over 50 to have greater control over their own health and wellbeing.

Health checks are part of a greater shift in emphasis towards improving and protecting health, rather than simply treating illness.

Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:

“We are aware of the scale of the challenge we face if we are to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health. We know, for example, only six per cent of adults in Wales currently follow advice in relation to diet, smoking, drinking and exercise.

“Increasingly, people are using online methods to access services at a time and place which suits them best, from banking to food shopping. The same approach can be used for helping us manage our health.

“The health checks programme will provide a modern gateway to prevention and health information services in Wales, which can help people over the age of 50 to make choices to support better health and wellbeing.

“People will be provided with  high quality advice on a range of health and social issues which can be tailored to their own personal circumstances, as well as improved access to the most effective national and local prevention services.”

Public Health Wales will develop the health check programme, which will include alternative assessment methods for those unable or preferring not to access services online. The programme will be introduced over a three year period starting at the end of 2013.