Having your health checked
The more you do to ensure that you have a healthy lifestyle, the less likely it is that you will develop a physical health problem.
However, people with severe mental illness face a greater risk
of developing some physical health problems. For example, people who have schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder have:
- a 2-4 times greater risk of cardiovascular disease
- a 2-4 times greater risk of repiratory disease
- a 5 times greater risk of diabetes
- a 8 times greater risk of Hepatitis C
- a 15 times greater risk of HIV
As well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is important to have your health monitored – that way, if you are unlucky enough to develop one of these problems, it can be treated earlier and there is a much better chance of recovery.
Under their new contract, effective from April 04, GPs who provide health-checks to people with severe mental illness will be paid extra (roughly £2,000 extra in financial year 2004-5 and £3,600 in 2005-6). To earn this extra money, GPs need to write to you and ask you to come to the surgery for a check. They must also ask for your permission to write your name on a register of people with severe mental illness – keeping people’s name on this register will ensure that they are invited to the surgery every year for a health- check.
Hopefully, the majority of GPs will start to provide this very important service to people with severe mental illness.
If your GP does not provide this service, see Getting a health-check:what if my GP doesn't provide these checks?
