A private service that gives patients a reading of their risk of a stroke or heart attack in the next 10 years will be rolled out in pharmacies across Lincolnshire after a pilot last summer showed it produced quick results and was convenient for users.

The service will be provided in 48 pharmacies by Lincolnshire Co-op and the digital health platform PocDoc after a test run allowed 500 people in the area to use the app-based technology to receive a heart health reading on an iPad or iPhone in less than 10 minutes.

The PocDoc platform combines proprietary lateral flow tests and cloud-based AI diagnostics to assess, diagnose and treat diseases. Of those who took part in the pilot, 29 per cent were found to have high cholesterol and 62 per cent had a high BMI score. The tests also consider other risk factors such as age and ethnicity.

The technology gives patients a measurement, known as a QRISK3 score, which allows them to understand the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease in the next decade. Thirty patients were given a high QRISK3 score.

About 90,000 people across Lincolnshire have undiagnosed cardiovascular disease, according to Lincolnshire Co-op who claimed everyone who took part in the pilot said the service “was more convenient than going to a GP.” The average time the service took from start to finish, Lincolnshire Co-op said, was nine minutes. The service will cost patients £44.99 per test.

“We’re really excited to bring a new service to Lincolnshire and hope that it will promote health and wellbeing locally,” said Marc Brooks, head of pharmacy at Lincolnshire Co-op.

“Whether a patient has a family history of cardiovascular disease, is looking to make some lifestyle choices, or just wants to better understand their body, we hope that the convenience and accessibility of our tests will encourage them to learn more about their heart’s health.

“As well as having their results clearly explained to them, patients will receive recommendations to help lower their QRISK3 scores and lead a healthier and longer life.”