Health targets

I read with interest your coverage of the SNP's plans for "life begins" health checks for all adults aged 40 (your report, 22 March). Despite facing tough spending constraints, this government appears wedded to introducing health policy that is heavy on cost and light on evidence.

Although there is not much detailed information available on the content of these health checks, there is little evidence to suggest that general health checks actually improve the health of patients. GPs already provide comprehensive care to patients with chronic illness, creating individual care plans to help manage their conditions. Taking GPs away from this important work to do these general health checks would be a terrible waste of resources.

We would much rather see more effort put into targeting particular groups of adults, such as men living in deprived or disadvantaged communities, who are reluctant to go to their doctor and are at increased risk of developing chronic disease.

DR DEAN MARSHALL

Chairman, British Medical Association's Scottish General Practitioners Committee

Queen Street, Edinburgh