Why Haven’t I Received an Invitation for a Lung Health Check?
NHS England set strict eligibility criteria for a Lung Health Check. To be eligible, you must be:
- Registered with a GP in an area being invited at that time
- Aged 55-74 at the point invitations for patients from your practice are issued
- A current or former smoker
If you don’t meet the eligibility criteria, you will not be invited for a Lung Health Check.
If you feel you meet the eligibility criteria and you haven’t received an invitation, there could be a number of reasons for this:
- Invitations for patients from your practice have not yet been sent out. Keep up to date on invitations through your local area’s Facebook page or website.
- Your smoking status has not been recorded on your GP record. If you think this may be the case, please contact your GP practice. Your practice should be able to update your record and this may mean that you are invited for a Lung Health Check.
If you think patients from your practice have already been invited to a Lung Health Check and you should have received an invite but haven’t, contact your local TLHC service using the numbers below:
- Newcastle and Gateshead – 0191 282 4888
- Tees Valley – 01642 045566
- South Tyneside and Sunderland – 0191 4041277
- North Cumbria – To be confirmed
- Northumberland – To be confirmed
- North Tyneside – To be confirmed
- County Durham – To be confirmed
Even if you’re not eligible for a Lung Health Check, it’s still important that you look after your lungs by being active, not smoking, eating healthily and telling your GP if you have any of the following symptoms:
- A persistent cough or change in your normal cough (if you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus – a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – visit the NHS website or call 111 for advice
- Coughing up blood
- Being short of breath
- Unexplained tiredness or weight loss
- An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
- Appetite loss