Latest news

Research led by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria has been instrumental in the design of a new scheme delivering heart checks in communities across our region.

The Healthy Heart Checks scheme is helping to identify people at risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack, ensuring they can access preventive care sooner.

More than 1,300 people from communities across the North East and North Cumbria have now benefited from Healthy Heart Checks delivered by Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) in partnership with local organisations.

The initiative builds on earlier pilot work in Middlesbrough, where more than 500 people from Black-African, South Asian, and underserved indigenous communities were offered heart checks.

An evaluation of the Middlesbrough pilot was led by researchers funded by the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria – which involved seven focus groups of 45 participants from ethnic minority and deprived communities.

The research used a behavioural insights approach to explore why people in underserved communities do not take up NHS Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Health Checks.

The study found that many people faced barriers such as difficulties getting and attending appointments, not understanding what the checks involve, and feeling unsure or mistrustful about the process.

Making checks available in the community

Participants suggested that making health checks available in local community spaces, such as community centres or faith settings, would make them easier to attend. They also said that working with trusted community champions could help build confidence and raise awareness about why these checks matter.

The findings fed into the the development of the current Healthy Heart Checks programme, which is funded through the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) Healthier & Fairer Programme.

The programme will continue to run until September 2026, with a focus on ensuring people in underserved communities have the same opportunities to protect their heart health as anyone else.

You can read more about the Healthy Heart Checks programme here.

You can read more about the research, here.