Annual Health Checks

Young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability are entitled to a annual NHS health check.

Annual checks provide the opportunity to talk with your GP about any health worries or concerns you may have.  

It is worth checking in advance with your GP to see what checks they may be doing and what is involved in your annual health check. This can help you prepare and feel less anxious, you can also communicate if you need any extra support or resources to help you manage your anxiety and/or to communicate. 

These health checks may involve a height and weight check, heart rate, blood pressure and blood tests or urine samples. They will ask you some questions to see how you are feeling, any updates on your health and to check the medications you are on.  They may also discuss any vaccinations and screenings that you may be due. 

The GP may discuss your Hyperinsulinism or other conditions you have, to see how it is going and for updates. This is a good opportunity to ask the GP to chase up any referrals you may be waiting on. Or any help you may need to manage your condition, such as ensuring your repeat prescriptions, hypo treatments, test strips are all reviewed. 

The GP may also advise on healthy eating, exercise, contraception and if applicable ways to help you to stop smoking or reduce alcohol intake.

Resources to help you prepare for your health check:

It may be good to take along your CamRARE ‘This is me’ patient passport to help you to remember your diagnoses, any medications you are on and what therapies you are receiving.  You can sign up to receive one here, select The Children’s Hyperinsulinism Charity:

https://forms.gle/ggp9afsaH8p8Ezd46

The GP may provide you with a health action plan at the appointment with advice on what has been discussed and to record any upcoming appointments. This health action plan, can be useful to add to your Education, Health, Care plan.

However, in case they do not it is worth preparing for ways to record what was discussed, for example making notes on your phone, voice notes, using your calendar and setting reminders. If you are taking someone with you to you appointment, ask them to help you to do this.

Before going to the appointment it is important to think about what you want to know. To write down or do a voice note of any questions you have. 

Also think about how you are feeling and strategies or ideas that you could use to help you to feel better or to feel less anxious. These  could be to take along headphones to listen to music, a favourite snack, something to read or an activity to do whilst you are waiting.

Supercharged me – explains health checks in a fun way: https://superchargedme.uk