Sheila Hardy explains why and how practice nurses should provide physical health checks for people with long-term mental health conditions

Primary care practitioners are advised to provide annual physical health checks for people with severe mental illness. This article provides a guide for practice nurses on how to organise and deliver these health checks. A brief description of the illnesses is given alongside the rationale for providing this screening. The author has been carrying out the health checks herself for nine years, has carried out research in this field and has developed a helpful website to assist nurses get these checks right.