Report: Evaluation of the physical health checks programme for people with severe mental illness in south east London
Background
In England, people with severe mental illness have a life expectancy “15-20 years shorter relative to the general population,” largely due to preventable physical illnesses. The NHS targets “at least 60 per cent of people with severe mental illness to receive a full annual physical health check by March 2025.”
The Health Innovation Network South London’s Mental Health team partnered with the South London Partnership, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to improve data sharing and increase completed physical health checks in south east London.
Mental health nurses were mobilised into primary care from November 2022 to March 2025. In its final year, the project expanded to raise awareness and identify digital solutions through horizon scanning and market review.
The HIN’s Insights team delivered an independent mixed-methods evaluation.
Key findings
Reach
The programme engaged 31 GP practices and one primary care network, reviewing 2,684 patient records. Among 1,540 patients with available data, the average number of completed physical health check elements increased by 0.5 to 1.2.
Implementation
Delivery faced early information governance and recruitment issues, later compounded by staff sickness, turnover, and external events including GP collective action and the Synnovis cyberattack.
Impact and wider learnings
- Nurses reported improved support for disengaged patients, enabling holistic care
- The model strengthened collaboration across primary, secondary, and voluntary sectors
- Work highlighted opportunities for sustainable physical health check approaches
Key recommendations
Learning from programme delivery
- Engage primary care early: Early involvement addresses engagement challenges and aligns expectations
- Coordinate and streamline information governance: Shared approaches reduce delays
- Prioritise patients: Focus on significantly disengaged individuals
Increasing targeting and uptake of physical health checks
- Expand Point of Care Testing for lipids: Reduces appointment burden and improves completion rates
- Advance primary care strategies: Improve severe mental illness register oversight and consistent annual monitoring
- Extended outreach through system collaboration: Integrate physical health in mental health services; conduct targeted community outreach; promote professional awareness
Supporting system development
- Promote London Care Record use to reduce duplication
- Prioritise primary and secondary care system integration using platforms like OneLondon
Download the evaluation report
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