The “life check” policy was previewed as the centrepiece of the latest health White Paper before its launch but opposition MPs questioned its usefulness yesterday.

Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary, said that check-ups would initially be for young children and people approaching their 50s who would fill in a paper or online form. Those deemed to be at risk of illness would receive help from “life trainers” or see a nurse or doctor.

Sandra Gidley, the Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman, called the consultation that preceded the White Paper a sham because the public had called for check-ups for all with a GP. “What the public seemed to want was a more general health MOT at various times of life,” she said. “What the public will actually get is an online tick-the-box exercise, a sort of health MOT lite.

“There is no guarantee that these checks will reach the people who need them. Won’t they just be a sop to the ‘worried well’?” Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, added: “I don’t understand where these so-called life checks come from.”

Mrs Hewitt said: “I am very happy to make it clear that in the first instance the NHS life check will not be carried out by a GP or nurse. That would not be the best use of this resource.

“So the first stage will be the self-assessment process and people in higher risk categories will be offered a health trainer.”

She said that the life checks would be test-run in disadvantaged areas first. Mrs Hewitt added: “For people who need more than a self-assessment there will be a follow-up with a nurse practitioner or a GP.”

Supermarkets gave a lukewarm response to plans to let them set up their own in-store surgeries. Sainsbury’s said there were several “important considerations to take into account” before it would agree to have surgeries in its stores and Tesco said it had no plans for surgeries or walk-in centres.

Boots and Asda said that they they might host GP consultations in some of their their stores, they had no plans to recruit their own GPs.

HEALTH PLANS

• Shift from spending on hospitals to care closer to home and preventative services
• Specialties such as dermatology, ENT, orthopaedics and gynaecology brought out of hospitals
• New generation of community hospitals that will provide diagnostics, minor surgery, outpatient facilities and access to social services
• NHS “Life Check” — a health MoT to assess people’s lifestyle risks, the right steps to take and provide referrals to specialists if needed
• A guarantee to patients of registration onto a GP practice list in their locality
• Introducing incentives to GP practices to offer opening times that respond to the needs of patients in their area
• More support for carers including improved emergency respite arrangements and the establishment of a national helpline for carers
• Extension of direct payments and piloting of “individual budgets” for social care

Times Recommends

• Revealed: how Eurocrat leaked secrets over dinners
• Politicians use the net to brainstorm
• British spy in longbow plot to kill Himmler