Extra health checks will be made across Nottinghamshire targeting people who do not go to the GP regularly to try to reduce heart disease.

Nottinghamshire County Council is looking for a new contractor to continue its cardiovascular NHS Health Check outreach service for three years from April 2023.

Treating people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) costs the NHS £7.4 billion each year and is one of the leading causes of death and disability in England. People from deprived communities are at greatest risk.

The service delivers checks in workplaces and the community to increase the chances of problems being spotted early in people who are potentially at risk of developing disease.

The decision, worth £24,900, will be funded by the Public Health Grant.

Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 is invited once every five years to have a check to assess their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes – these checks are usually delivered by GP practices.

But the council-commissioned service will provide an additional 240 checks for people who do not attend their GP practice.

Council documents stated: "Reducing the burden of CVD on local populations is an important step to helping people to stay in work, boosting the local economy and lowering future demand on health and social care settings.

"The majority of CVD is preventable through the early identification and management of risk."

The current contract held by the council for outreach is with Phakeys Pharmacy, which expires in March 2023.

The council will now put the new contracts out to tender.