There's often speculation about whether a health MOT really can give peace of mind, as well as a view that some health checks can cause more harm than good.

When considered with facts such as 1 in 3 people not surviving their first heart attack* and more than 1 in 3 people developing some form of cancer in their lifetime*, there's a strong case for saying some form of health check up is a good idea, especially as the sooner you find serious health problems the easier they generally are to treat successfully.

Additionally, a review of the UK's 2007 health statistics in the BMJ (October 2007) highlighted the key health risks of the working population.  They focused on mental health, obesity and type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early malignancies (particularly of the skin, breast, cervix, prostate and bowel), all of which can be screened for appropriately without undue risk to the patient.

The view that screening itself may cause more anxieties than it solves, or that some screens involving scans that could potentially cause cancers because of radiation exposure merits consideration.  Clinicians such as Professor Nicholas Wald (Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine) have said "in medical screening, there is often some harm, which is only acceptable if there are also confirmed benefits that outweigh the harm".

To read more - click here