56,000+ Health Checks: How Luton Borough Council Made Prevention Part of Everyday Community Life

Luton Borough Council partnered with SISU Health to widen access to preventative health checks for communities traditional services weren’t reaching. Self-service health stations across the borough have already delivered 56,000+ free checks, uncovering hidden health risks and driving measurable improvements.

The challenge – Closing the gap in preventative care

Luton faces deep-rooted health inequalities. Life expectancy varies widely across the borough, driven largely by modifiable lifestyle risks like smoking, obesity and high blood pressure. Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable deaths, closely followed by cardiovascular disease.

Traditional engagement routes weren’t working for many residents:

We’ve always struggled to engage our population with NHS Health Checks and other screening programmes – particularly working age men and people in our most deprived areas. We needed something radically easier and more appealing. 

 

Suliman Rafiq, Public Health Principle, Luton Borough Council

Luton’s population is super-diverse, with over 150 languages and dialects spoken and more than half of residents from ethnic minority backgrounds. They needed a model that removed barriers and brought prevention into everyday life.

The solution – Health checks where people live their lives

Luton introduced a network of 11 SISU Health Stations across leisure centres, libraries and community hubs, with site selection guided by local insight and partner organisations. Residents can complete an accurate health check in minutes, without an appointment.

It’s been one of the easiest projects we’ve ever delivered – simple, scalable and effective. The convenience of just walking up to a kiosk in your community has transformative.

Results are delivered instantly and securely, providing personalised guidance and direct signposting into local services, including Total Wellbeing Luton for smoking cessation, exercise referral and wider support.

Results – Inclusive engagement and measurable impact

Since November 2021, 56,638 self-service health checks have been delivered across the borough, with 32% returning for repeat checks. The programme has reached residents who had never accessed preventative checks before and has enabled early intervention at scale.

Reach and inclusion

• 54% of users are male, engaging a group under-represented in NHS Health Checks
• NPS score: +74, showing strong public trust and satisfaction
• 41% Asian, 14% Black, 48% White – reflecting Luton’s diverse population
• 73% of participation had not had a BP check in the past year
• 19% of checks completed after 6pm, providing accessibility outside GP hours

Health improvements

I’m confident we’ve saved lives. People are discovering serious health issues early – often when just popping into the library or leisure centre. That’s prevention working in real time. 

Among repeat users, SISU Health data shows significant improvement in key risk factors:

• 20.7% reduction in the proportion of participants with high blood pressure
• 14.3% reduction in smoking prevalence
• 1.6% reduction in high body-fat percentage
• Over 10,000 GP call-to-actions triggered for high BMI or blood pressure

These figures show not only engagement, but behaviour change and earlier detection for conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Strategic value – Integrating prevention across Luton’s health network

The programme has strengthened collaboration between public health, community venues and Total Wellbeing Luton, turning self-service screening into a reliable referral pathway for prevention. As a result, Luton can now:

• Detect undiagnosed hypertension and other cardiovascular risks at scale
• Engage residents earlier, including those under 40 who are outside the NHS Health Check age range
• Use real-time, population-level insight to shape prevention strategies and allocate resources
• Empower residents to track their numbers, supporting behaviour change without relying on GP appointments

The integration with our wellbeing services has been a game changer. It’s not just about data – it’s about getting the right people into the right support at the right time. 

By understanding who is engaging and where the highest risks lie, Luton can now target support more effectively, plan services based on evidence, and contribute to the Integrated Care System’s long-term prevention strategy.

SISU Health’s role – Powering scalable, accessible prevention

SISU Health’s technology enables local authorities like Luton to:

• Deliver accurate, self-service health checks with no clinical staff
• Provide instant results and personalised guidance
• Trigger referrals into local wellbeing services
• Reduce unnecessary GP appointments for routine monitoring
• Generate population-level insight to direct resources effectively
• Support long-term behaviour change through repeat tracking

By combining medical-grade devices, behavioural prompts and high-value data, SISU Health makes preventive health checks simple, low-cost and scalable in diverse communities – enabling local authorities like Luton to drive measurable improvement, reduce inequalities and make prevention a normal part of everyday life.

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