Research about a ‘health check’ programme operated by the National Health Service (NHS) is receiving a lot of attention amongst UK health policymakers. The study found that the ‘health checks’, dedicated screening appointments offered to everyone in middle age, have uncovered thousands of cases of high blood pressure and other serious health risk factors not previously diagnosed in the people attending the appointments. Government officials have been especially keen to highlight the fact that this level of detection of such risk factors could equate to the prevention of over 2,000 heart attacks and strokes. The researchers did not, however, continue to monitor the health of the individuals identified to have the risk factors or track whether they went on to take the prescribed medications or make the other lifestyle changes recommended to them as a result of their ‘health checks’.