Physical Health Checks

This service supports people living with severe mental illness (SMI) in Haringey. It helps people stay healthy by offering thorough physical health checks and support. 

This service is a partnership between Haringey GP Federation, Mind in Haringey (MiH) and North London Foundation Trust (NLFT).

Most appointments are at your own GP practice, though we may invite you to a nearby health centre.

Some special appointments are also offered at care homes, residential settings and people’s homes. 

Why it matters

People with a severe mental illness often live 15 to 20 years less than average. Most of this is down to physical health problems that can be spotted and treated early. That's what this check is for.

What will happen on the day

During your check, clinicians will assess key health measures and may signpost you to other NHS or community support to help you maintain or improve your health.

These appointments last between 20 and 30 minutes to allow time for meaningful discussion about health, lifestyle and wellbeing. 

What’s measured at the health check

Here's everything we'll cover at the appointment

• Height and weight - a quick measurement to work out your BMI
• Blood pressure - takes seconds and tells us a lot about your heart
• Smoking – a quick question. If you smoke, we can help, no judgement
• Alcohol - a short chat to see if it might be affecting your health
• Diabetes - checking your blood sugar level (blood test)
• Cholesterol - a small blood sample checks your heart health (blood test)

We might also talk about…

• Your diet
• How active you are
• Cancer screening you may be due
• How you're doing generally

After your appointment

• On the day: We'll talk through anything we find right away.
• Your blood results: These go to your usual GP within 3 working days. They'll contact you if anything needs a closer look.
• More support: If it would help, we'll point you to local services like One You Haringey to help to stop smoking.