In a pioneering initiative, the Sandwell tests and online self-assessment provision will be provided by a partnership comprising the council’s Healthy Sandwell team, the NHS and diagnostics company Randox Health – whose tests and clinics will be used to facilitate the innovative testing. Tests and clinics will be available for Sandwell residents in both Sandwell and, if convenient, in Birmingham.

The awarding of the contract to Randox Health to provide the tests follows an open tender process by Sandwell Council. The company has demonstrated success in providing 17 million PCR tests to NHS Test and Trace during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping prevent thousands of hospitalisations and deaths in the UK.

Free tests will be offered to Sandwell residents aged between 40 and 74 who have not previously suffered coronary heart disease, strokes, diabetes or kidney disease. Each will, in the next few weeks, begin receiving letters inviting them to the 20-minute NHS check, with branding from Randox, Healthy Sandwell and the NHS. The letter will include a link to the Randox website through which the tests can be booked.

Sandwell residents who have not yet received a GP letter and believe they are eligible can visit the Randox website https://nhshealthcheck.randox.com, take an eligibility check and then book their own appointment.

Tests will be carried out by specially trained staff at a number of community pop-up clinics in locations in Sandwell such as leisure centres and community spaces, aiming to reach those most at risk of having an undiagnosed serious illness.

Tests for Sandwell residents will also be available at Randox Health’s Birmingham Clinic (39-40 High Street, B4 7SL).

Test results will be made available to GPs for inclusion on patient medical records through Health Diagnostics Ltd, a third-party provider. Randox will hold none of the data from the test results.

Not only will the testing programme enable prevention and mitigation through the early identification of serious illness, it will also allow lifestyle modification on issues including smoking, alcohol and weight management.

Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Social Care & Health, said:

David Ferguson, Chief Operating Officer for Randox Health said:

 

Editors Notes

1. Sandwell Council  

Sandwell Council will participate in the partnership through Healthy Sandwell, which is part of the council’s Public Health team.  Healthy Sandwell provides a range of services to support local people to make positive lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. Further information: https://www.healthysandwell.co.uk/

2. Randox Health

Established in 1982, Randox is the largest healthcare diagnostics company from the UK and Ireland.

Undertaking research, development, manufacture and distribution of innovative laboratory tests and analysers, Randox provides 15% of all worldwide cholesterol tests and 10% of all clinical chemistry tests. More than 5% of the world’s population (over 370 million people) receive medical diagnosis using Randox products each year.

Randox Health focuses on the provision of timely and accurate testing to identify risk to health, improve clinical diagnoses and promote preventative healthcare; aiming to achieve better healthcare outcomes whilst reducing the burden on clinical services.

In early 2020 Randox recognised the threat from COVID-19 and quickly developed a test to accurately identify the virus.  Testing at scale commenced within weeks to support the UK’s National Testing Programme and private clients. Randox has processed more than 25 million gold-standard PCR tests for the National Testing Programme and private COVID testing for travel.

Randox Health is clear that better diagnostics are unquestionably critical to future improvements within healthcare and is committed to remaining at the forefront of that field.

Its growing network of High Street clinics now operate in 20 locations around the UK and Ireland, including Birmingham.