A HYDE GP surgery has identified new cases of diabetes, high blood pressure and other early-stage conditions by employing a pop-up health bus.
The Brooke Surgery carried out more than 1,000 checks and interventions between March 2 and 8 after setting up outside the practice on Market Street as it focussed on improving access for people, including those working shifts or unable to attend routine appointments.
And the results showed the action worked, with 15 new cases of hypertension and five new diagnoses of diabetes being found, with 20 people being identified with pre-diabetes.
A total of 15 abnormal thyroid results requiring follow-up were flagged up, while more than 100 patients were shown to have high cardiovascular risk.
In total, 1,002 patients were seen across the week, with on-the-day testing and digital monitoring used to assess cardiovascular risk and identify underlying conditions earlier.
This included more than 300 blood tests being carried out on site, alongside more than 200 ambulatory blood pressure monitors being issued to patients, allowing clinicians to track readings over a longer period outside of a clinical setting.
Alongside diagnosis, the week also focused on early intervention and prevention, with patients supported through medication reviews, lifestyle assessments and targeted advice based on their results, as well as wider wellbeing conversations.
More than 25 patients were started on statins following risk assessment, while smoking and alcohol screenings were carried out at scale to support longer-term behaviour change.
Vaccination uptake also formed part of the campaign, with more than 150 being delivered, including MMR, shingles and pneumococcal.
By taking services directly into the community, the surgery aimed to remove practical barriers to care while encouraging earlier engagement with preventative health support.
And GP Dr Nabeel Arshad said: “What this week has shown very clearly is just how many people were walking around with risk factors or early-stage conditions without realising it.
“We picked up high blood pressure, early diabetes, things that often don’t cause obvious symptoms but can have serious consequences if they’re missed.
“A lot of the conversations we had were with people who felt completely well, which is exactly the challenge.
“These conditions don’t always come with warning signs, so without this kind of proactive testing, they can go unnoticed for years.
“For many patients, it’s not about reluctance, it’s about access. If you’re working shifts or juggling a busy routine, it’s easy to put a GP appointment off.
“Bringing this into the community makes it much more straightforward.
“Using things like ambulatory blood pressure monitors also gives us a much more realistic picture of what’s going on day-to-day, rather than relying on a single reading in clinic.
“That’s made a real difference in terms of identifying people who need follow-up and getting support in place earlier.”
Kirsty Wiseman, wellbeing practitioner and founder at Know U Wellbeing, added: “What really stood out was how many people had been putting their health on hold, often for years, and didn’t feel confident understanding their results.
“Once they had the space, conversations quickly opened up around stress, menopause and low mood, things they hadn’t raised before.
“We also saw how important that direct link back into the GP was. In some cases, people with very high blood pressure were able to be seen the same day. It shows the value of taking healthcare into the community and making support feel accessible rather than something people have to navigate alone.”
Following the success of the pilot, The Brooke Surgery is now exploring how similar models could be used in future to continue reaching patients across the area and to open more support outside of surgery opening hours.