Older people are being “made to feel like second class citizens” due to the growing digitalisation of health services, campaigners have warned.
Concerns have been raised about plans to discontinue in-person NHS Health Checks in favour of requiring patients to complete them at home.
In Cornwall, 2,000 people will be invited to fill out an online questionnaire, provide their own blood sample, and visit a pharmacy or GP waiting room for a blood pressure check.
The trial, according to ministers, will relieve pressure on ailing GPs and inform plans for a national rollout.
But Dennis Reed, director of over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, warned it appeared to ignore the needs of some older people who cannot access online services due to the cost or a lack of digital skills.
He said: “Digital health checks assume everyone is online and adept in completing online questionnaires.”
“Once again older patients are excluded from health care developments and are made to feel like second class citizens.”
“I also doubt whether the pilot will investigate the number of serious conditions that will be missed because of badly completed questionnaires and home tests.”
Mr Reed added: “There should always be the option of a face-to-face health check appointment.”
Earlier this year, Silver Voices issued a similar warning to ministers about plans to make the NHS app a front door to the health service. Every five years, all adults in England aged 40 to 74 are offered the NHS Health Check.