Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
A new NHS-funded health station, which gives shoppers the chance to get a quick, free, self-service health check in under five minutes is now available at Boots, Victoria Centre in Nottingham.
NHS leaders hope that by providing better access to health services in accessible locations like high street pharmacies, they can help save lives by improving early detection rates for serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke and dementia.
The SISU Health Station measures blood pressure, BMI, heart rate, body composition and more – while also helping to identify alcohol-related and physical activity risks and calculates heart age.
People using the machine receive instant personalised feedback, which may include advice to contact their pharmacy or GP for a follow-up check. If they consent, it can also connect them directly to local stop smoking or adult weight management services.
Health Innovation East Midlands has enabled the deployment of two SISU Health Stations in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, which are the first of their type to be available to the public in the East Midlands. A second machine is located at Stapleford Care Centre, Church Street, Stapleford.
SISU Health Stations have been used to carry out over 5 million health checks around the world, detecting health risks in more than 1.75 million cases (35%).
The new health station is being launched on Tuesday 27 January 2026 – just two days before the Stroke Association’s Stroke Prevention Day (29 January). Latest data shows that there were 130 deaths from Stroke in Nottingham in 2024 and there are currently 5,894 stroke survivors living in the city. See Notes to Editor for more information about Stroke Prevention Day.
Dr Dave Briggs, Executive Director of Outcomes (Medical) at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Health Innovation East Midlands, Boots and SISU on this exciting project.
“Making more health services available in the community, where our patients are, is vital, especially if we are going to reach people and communities who find it difficult to access formal health settings. Better use of technology for healthcare and switching from a treatment to prevention model are key shifts of the NHS 10 year-plan, and the SISU Health Station supports both of those aims.”
Phillip Stimpson, Senior Innovation Lead, Health Innovation East Midlands, said: “We’re proud to have supported Nottingham City Place-Based Partnership to bring vital health checks onto the high street through our Health Innovation East Midlands Innovation Fund.
“Innovations like the SISU Health station make it easier for people to understand their health and take positive steps towards important lifestyle changes. Learning from this experience could help to inform wider rollout across the East Midlands and potentially in other sites nationally. We hope that many will benefit from taking the opportunity to have a quick health check when visiting this Boots store.”
Sally Francis, Store Manager at Boots Nottingham Victoria Centre said: “We are proud to bring even greater access to healthcare on the high street through this partnership. With the new SISU machine, our customers can get a quick, free self-service health check to get a better understanding of their health. This is a great addition to the range of healthcare services we already deliver in-store privately and on behalf of the NHS such as the NHS Pharmacy First service.”
Jez Styles, Director of Growth, SISU Health UK said: “Too many people miss out on routine health checks simply because they’re hard to access. By placing health stations in everyday locations like Boots, we can meet people where they already are and help identify potential health risks early.
“These stations make preventive healthcare simple, quick and can connect people to the right local support if they need it. We’re proud to be working alongside Health Innovation East Midlands, the NHS and Boots to bring this kind of accessible, community-based care to Nottingham.”
Free blood pressure checks for people aged 40 and over are also available at most community pharmacies in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Further information is available from www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/pharmacies/find-a-pharmacy-that-offers-free-blood-pressure-checks
