PocDoc is on a mission to change the way we view and test for chronic diseases. It aims to enable individuals to detect and prevent these diseases quickly and easily, all via a smartphone.
PocDoc’s Healthy Heart Check is the first in a series of easy-to-use home test kits. The simple finger-prick blood test takes less than 10 minutes and provides patients with a full cholesterol profile. The PocDoc platform also provides a BMI score, calculates heart age and provides a ten-year risk assessment for heart attacks or strokes.
The British Heart Foundation estimates that in the UK more than half of us will get a heart or circulatory condition in our lifetime but many heart and circulatory diseases (CVD) are caused by risk factors that can be controlled, treated or modified (1).
PocDoc’s Healthy Heart Check aims to increase access to cardiovascular disease screenings, particularly for hard to reach communities, to help ease the pressure on the UK healthcare system. By identifying those at risk of CVD, interventions can be put in place to reduce the likelihood of a CVD episode.
The total annual healthcare cost of heart and circulatory diseases in the UK is around £12 billion (1). It is estimated that each digital health check could save 20 minutes of NHS time, PocDoc’s Healthy Heart Checks have the potential to free up thousands of GP appointments by bringing health checks into people’s homes and helping cut NHS waiting times, thereby saving the NHS money.
Health Innovation East’s relationship with PocDoc began at NHS Confed Expo 2023. Following the initial meeting, PocDoc was introduced to our CVD lead to support the team in understanding the CVD landscape in the East of England.
Health Innovation East facilitated opportunities for PocDoc to present at the East of England Lipid Optimisation and Familial Hypercholesterolemia Steering Group meetings, enabling valuable engagement with integrated care systems (ICS) and clinical colleagues involved in cholesterol management. PocDoc also joined the Health Innovation East CVD innovation exchange showcase in October 2024, enabling the innovation to be presented to both Norfolk and Waveney and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough integrated care systems (ICS).
To support the implementation and adoption of the PocDoc’s Healthy Heart Checks within the NHS, Health Innovation East is leading a six-months real-world evaluation of the tests in Granta Primary Care Network (PCN) to understand the acceptability and suitability of the tests as an alternative cholesterol test rather than a standard blood test. Patients who were identified as eligible for an NHS Health Check but had not yet attended were offered a Healthy Heart Check to complete at home.
Health Innovation East has also connected PocDoc with key partners such as ABHI, Medilink, Orbital Media, and Inicio.
PocDoc opened its major research and development, manufacturing and operational hub in the Cambridge as of April 2024, potentially adding hundreds of jobs over the coming years as well as enabling export of PocDoc’s products to other global markets.
Through the Granta PCN pilot, 1,996 PocDoc tests have been sent out to patients who had previously not engaged in the NHS Health Check. 1,056 of these patients have since completed a PocDoc Healthy Heart test. Those who showed markers indicating they were at risk of developing CVD were encouraged to come into the practice for a full health check or sign posted to lifestyle modifying classes or provided educational resources.
Analogue to digital: PocDoc provides end-to-end digital pathways for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of major diseases. The Health Heart Checks provide results instantly and can be shared directly with GPs either via the NHS app or manually.
Hospital to community: the Healthy Heart Checks can be performed anywhere and take just 10 minutes to complete. They are also used by pharmacies across the UK.
Treatment to prevention: the tests identify patients at risk of cardiovascular disease to sign post them to resources/services to reduce their risk of developing long-term conditions, including 10-year risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, North East and North Cumbria ICS and West Yorkshire ICS led the ‘Attacking the Prevention Gap’ project with PocDoc to bridge the gap in both primary and secondary care.
The project was shortlisted for the ‘Generating Impact in Population Health through Digital’ at the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards. The Attacking the Prevent Gap project has delivered valuable insights that underline the value of the innovative, technology-supported approach to cardiovascular disease prevention, including:
– 80% of people tested had never had a cholesterol test before.
– 40% of people tested had elevated (unhealthy) levels of cholesterol.
– 17% would qualify as having undiagnosed cardiovascular disease.
– 95% of people said they found the community-based testing “significantly more convenient” than trying to get an appointment at their local GP.
– 97% of people would recommend the programme to a friend or relative.
PocDoc has worked with the NHS, community pharmacies, sporting foundations and corporate entities across the UK, making tests easily accessible for patients across the country, from Cornwall up to Edinburgh.
CEO and co-founder of PocDoc, Steve Roest, has been selected for the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) 2025 cohort of Fellows. The NIA will provide tailored support, including expert guidance, peer support and access to a network of key stakeholders in healthcare, equipping the Fellows to scale their solutions and drive real-world impact.
PocDoc is also developing at-home testing to identify those at risk of metabolic and renal diseases in addition to their CVD screening test.
To find out more, visit PocDoc’s website or email innovatorenquiries@healthinnovationeast.co.uk
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