COMPUTER glitches are the reason Herefordshire is failing to meet a government health check target, a county doctor has said.


A health journal reported just three per cent of county residents who are offered a check-up looking into potentially serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease have accepted – far below the government’s 20 per cent target.


But the reason could lie with the software system used by the bulk of surgeries across Herefordshire which is not compatible with the programme needed to feed results back to health officials.


Doctor Paul Harris, who is based at the Belmont Medical Centre, said uptake on the checks has actually been good but added technology has got in the way.


“In order to run the health screens electronically you need to use Google Chrome and the system we use, which is the predominant system across the county, is not compatible with this,” he said.


“We have to fill out the details on a computer, print it out and then re-enter
it into our system again.


“Two of our computers have had to be set aside for it.”


The checks are aimed at 40 to 70-year-olds and look for the potential of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

Dr Harris, who has been at the surgery for 20 years, said certain requirements relating to the data make it a time-consuming business.


“It’s not a lack of willingness. We do the work and they are a useful tool for some individuals, particularly that cohort of middleaged men who might not usually go to a doctor,” he said.


“It takes much more time than it needs to take but it is improving.”


He said his surgery is sending out between 50 and 60 invites a month with about 40 people attending the screening.


The figures were published by GP magazine which put in a Freedom if Information (FOI) request that revealed 64 per cent of primary care trusts across England, including Herefordshire, have not provided enough of the checks in the past year.