Health MoTs 'may be waste of money and could even be bad for you'

Published on Wednesday 22 July 2009 19:05

PEOPLE who pay for a private health "MoT" could be wasting their money, and even damaging their health, according to consumer magazine Which?

Its undercover researchers found check-up results varied from company to company, and could raise alarm unnecessarily or provide false reassurance.

One man was given conflicting advice by three leading firms on his risk of heart disease, despite getting almost identical results in their tests.

Which? also said companies that offered CT scans could be exposing patients to unnecessary and harmful radiation. And it criticised the companies tested for failing on some occasions to discuss the downsides of the testing, such as false alarms.

Which? researchers aged 46 to 62, with no known health problems, paid 12 visits to six healthcare companies – Bupa, Nuffield Health and BMI Healthcare and three independent firms – and bought comprehensive health MoTs, not including scans or X-rays, paying an average of 423.

In eight cases, the researchers – none of whom had a major problem identified – were advised to get further GP tests within six months.

Which? editor Martyn Hocking said: "Health MoTs often cater for the 'worried well' who want the reassurance of a clean bill of health, but they can cost hundreds of pounds for what sometimes amounts to little more than lifestyle and dietary advice.

"That might seem harmless, but a false sense of reassurance is potentially risky, and if the tests flag issues that turn out to be false alarms, you could end up with unnecessary worry, rather than the peace of mind you signed up for."

He advised people considering a health MoT to check what information, tests or screening are available from their GP first, and to see their GP if they have symptoms.

Dr Peter Mace, assistant clinical director at Bupa said: "

We agree it is wrong to provide false reassurance or unnecessarily worry people with tests which may not be backed up by sound clinical evidence. This is why we ensure people are told about the risks and benefits of all the tests they have beforehand and what the results mean for them.

"However, we don't agree with Which?'s suggestion that people are just looking for a clean bill of health. We don't see the 'worried well'. We see people who are interested in their health and want to take positive steps to improve it and understand their own health and health risks."

A spokesman for Nuffield Health said: "Our assessments are built around an understanding that health is more than just the absence of disease.

"Much of the advice that we give our clients is about the lifestyle areas that they should think about changing.

"Our concern is over some companies that offer expensive tests without good evidence that they need to be carried out in the first place – tests such as whole body imaging, for example."