A MILLION pounds is being pumped into The BIG Bolton Health Check in a bid to make sure everyone over the age of 45 is tested.

Health bosses have made the pledge, claiming it could be the single biggest way to improve life-expectancy in Bolton.

Tim Evans, chief executive of Bolton Primary Care Trust, said: "This could be the best £1 million we have ever spent. We want to do these tests on an industrial scale.

"It's the thing that's going to have the single, biggest impact on life-expectancy in Bolton because it will identify not only people who are at risk of developing heart disease but also those at risk of suffering heart attacks, strokes and with diabetes and enabling them to make changes."

Life expectancy across the borough is an average of just 74.6 years for men - two years below the national average - and 79 years for women - also two years below the national average.

GPs will paid on a sliding scale by health bosses depending on how many patients in the target age group they test.

For example, surgeries where 50 per cent of patients are tested will receive £2 for each of the assessments, those who test 75 per cent will be given £5.50 and those who test 100 per cent of people eligible will receive £12.

Mr Evans said: "We wanted to create the scheme so there was a real incentive for GPs to test 100 per cent of people."

The BIG Bolton Health Check aims to test 46,000 people in Bolton over the age of 45 before the end of March next year.

Experts predict as many as 10,000 people could be at a high risk of developing heart disease in the next decade.

The BIG Bolton Health Check is a simple 10-minute assessment, which includes a cholesterol check, a blood pressure test and a few simple lifestyle questions.

As well as being carried out in GPs surgeries, the checks will also be done in the community in places such as barbers, betting shops, supermarkets, pubs and gyms.