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Tesco has partnered with leading UK private healthcare companies including Bupa as part of a new store healthcare concept.

Customers at the refurbished Cheshunt Extra st­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ore will be able to get advice, treatment and virtual GP appointments for a range of health concerns in the supermarket’s first dedicated health zone.

The new pilot store concept brings together food, health and wellness ranges, alongside enhanced pharmacy and healthcare services. Tesco said it would make it easier for customers to manage all aspects of their wellbeing in one place.

Two further stores are planned to have the additional healthcare services, with Hexham in Northumberland and West Durrington in West Sussex set to follow in 2025. If the pilot is successful, more could be rolled out across the country in future.

Tesco said it provide “fast and convenient” access to a range of Bupa’s primary healthcare services, including virtual GP appointments, weight management support and earwax removal.

It said the scheme would mean making “competitively priced” services available to all customers.

It will also provide consultations with a clinician on managing menopause symptoms from Stella, the online menopause clinic, including advice and support with HRT.

Free advice on oral hygiene will also be made available as part of the programme, in partnership with global consumer healthcare company Haleon, which owns oral health brands like Sensodyne, Corsodyl and Aquafresh.

Tesco will offer free advice from a healthcare professional on pregnancy and infant nutrition, delivered in partnership with Aptaclub.

It builds on Tesco’s existing in-store pharmacy offer, which serves half a million customers every week across 365 UK pharmacies located in larger Tesco stores. Services include flu jabs, free blood pressure checks and free advice on cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among other services.

“Good health starts with good food, but it also relies on people being able to get the right support, advice and care, as early as possible to help prevent ill health and not just manage it,” said Tesco chief commercial officer Ashwin Prasad.

“With our network of stores and pharmacies in communities all over the UK, we are uniquely placed to help make food and healthcare accessible to our customers – and reduce some pressure on the NHS too.

“Our new pilot means customers visiting our Cheshunt Extra store – and other stores in coming months – can now get advice from one of our pharmacists or specialist partners, book a GP appointment for a time that suits them, and pick up healthy food, prescriptions and nutrition supplements, all without making an extra trip.

“We’ll be testing, learning and listening to feedback to understand what customers think and what further changes we can make to help them look after themselves and their families.”

Tesco also today announced it was working with Cancer Research UK to prompt customers who are experiencing unusual symptoms or are concerned about cancer to get expert information and support while they shop.  

The campaign aims to raise awareness of possible symptoms of cancer, break down barriers people may face to speaking to healthcare professionals, and help customers feel more confident when communicating with their doctor.  

It said that with pharmacists set to play an increasingly bigger role in people’s access to healthcare, the campaign gave Tesco an opportunity to put specialist training provided by Cancer Research UK into action, with customers only needing to take a few minutes out of their weekly shop.