PocDoc & Starlink bring offline heart health checks to UK’s remote
PocDoc has entered into a partnership with Starlink to deliver offline heart health screenings to remote UK areas with no mobile signal.
The initiative enables PocDoc's Healthy Heart Check to operate entirely offline by utilising Starlink's satellite internet network, covering rural communities across the UK that otherwise have limited or no access to mobile data services.
According to PocDoc, an estimated 7% of the UK landmass – an area roughly comparable to the size of Wales – is classified as a mobile 'not-spot'. In such areas, residents are unable to access digital health solutions that require connectivity. By leveraging Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellite infrastructure, PocDoc aims to bridge the digital health gap and provide greater access to preventive cardiac care.
The Healthy Heart Check is a digital health screening kit that utilises a finger-prick blood test to provide a comprehensive cholesterol and diabetes profile, as well as a body mass index (BMI), heart age, and a ten-year risk assessment for heart attack or stroke. Using Starlink's connection, the screening can be conducted and processed on-site in locations with no traditional mobile coverage.
PocDoc launched the partnership by providing on-site heart health checks at Middlesbrough Mela, a music festival in Albert Park, an area known for its poor mobile signal coverage. On this occasion, satellite connectivity enabled the team to screen hundreds of attendees in a single day. The checks are designed to provide rapid results and facilitate more timely interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
In the North East and North Cumbria region, Starlink is already in use to support rapid CVD screening in underserved areas. The collaboration is presented as a route to support NHS objectives by delivering preventative care without patients needing to visit a GP directly.
The Healthy Heart Check also has operational benefits for healthcare professionals. Citing NHS research, PocDoc notes that each digital health check saves a GP 20 minutes of their time. Early detection through these means has the potential to prevent up to 80% of CVD cases, which, if applied nationwide, could save an estimated 136,000 lives annually.
PocDoc's activities include partnerships with NHS bodies and major pharmacy retailers such as Well Pharmacy, Boots, and Superdrug. The company states it is on course to help 500,000 people manage their heart health by the end of 2025, as it continues to facilitate more accessible preventative testing across the country.
This new development follows PocDoc's recent launch of a smartphone-based HbA1c blood test for type 2 diabetes, which Health Minister Stephen Kinnock described as a "game-changer". The company positions itself as supporting the UK Government's ten-year NHS plan, which seeks to increase the availability of community-based health screening and early disease detection services.
Steve Roest, CEO at PocDoc, said: "We're proud to be the first digital diagnostics solution to partner with Starlink, using cutting-edge technology to solve real-world problems. It's about leveling the playing field - everyone in the UK deserves access to the same preventative care, no matter their postcode. "This partnership is one of many exciting collaborations we've launched in 2025, bringing us closer to our vision of reaching every community, in every corner of the country."
Julia Newton, Medical Director at Health Innovation Northeast and North Cumbria, commented: "Our partnership with PocDoc has helped bring essential heart health checks to communities that need them most. We're thrilled to be the first NHS region to use Starlink to screen people who would have otherwise been difficult to reach, and to expand access to vital care across even the most remote areas."
The combination of digital diagnostics and satellite technology is expected to increase reach and efficiency for preventative health programmes, particularly in areas currently excluded by network coverage limitations. PocDoc anticipates continuing to expand its services and integrations across the NHS and private sector as part of national efforts to reduce the prevalence of CVD and improve early diagnosis rates in remote communities.
