Could this futuristic £299 scan be the key to us living for longer?

Stepping into the yellow glow of Neko Health's scanning room feels a bit like entering a spaceship. With minimalist decor and comforting touches, it's a futuristic fusion of spa and high-end doctor's surgery. And for £299, you'll have a full-body health MOT in under an hour.

- Hanna Geissler reports

Since opening its first clinic in Stockholm in February 2023, the Swedish firm has seen huge demand for health assessments, which include blood vessel analysis, mole checks, an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a blood test to measure cholesterol, haemoglobin, blood sugar, inflammatory markers and more.

Co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and serial entrepreneur Hjalmar Nilsonne, it aims to transform healthcare from a reactive approach to preventative using technology.

Millions of Brits, aged 40 to 74, are eligible for a free NHS Health Check, which offers advice on lowering risk of major conditions including heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke. Neko's offering is similar but is open to all over-16s and combs through each individual's data to identify steps they can take to optimise their health.

Dr Sam Rodgers, the company’s lead GP, explains: “We're looking to either advise people about the kind of risk factors they've got and how to change those, or in some cases, detecting diseases early. The usual motivation is people either wanting a general health check or having a specific health concern they want to address.

“Almost anyone in the debrief room will find something to change for a healthier life - 80% of people need no medical followup after their scan, they're essentially healthy. But they may need to optimise particular areas, sleep, stress, diet, exercise, and avoidable risk factors like smoking or alcohol.”

Neko now has four sites in the UK: one in Manchester and three in London. Staff are known as operators and customers are members, not patients. Upon arrival, members change into a robe and enter the scanning room bursting with technology. Most impressive is the skin cancer check, which involves ditching the robe and standing in front of an array of cameras that take 2,000 high-resolution images to build a detailed map of every mole, freckle and blemish.