Why We Ask for Your Height and Weight

Key Information

• The Request: You may have received a text from us asking for your current height and weight.
• The Goal: While it may seem like a simple administrative task, keeping these measurements up to date is one of the most important ways you can help us keep you safe.
• Confidentiality: This is a standard and confidential part of your health record.

The Most Critical Reason: Medication Safety

• Precision Dosing: Many medicines, including antibiotics and anaesthetics, need to be dosed accurately for your body size.
• The Risk: An out-of-date weight could lead to a dose that is either too low to work properly or too high to be safe.
• The Benefit: By providing up-to-date measurements, you help every healthcare professional involved in your care prescribe treatment as safely and effectively as possible.

Assessing Your Health Risks

Having accurate information also helps us to:

• Assess your risk of certain health conditions more accurately.
• Make sure you are invited for the right preventative health checks and screenings.

What if I Do Not Have Scales?

We understand that this can be a sensitive topic, and not everyone has weighing scales at home.

If you cannot weigh yourself at home, you are always welcome to come into the practice and use ours. There is no need for a clinical appointment. Simply ask at reception and they will show you where to go.

What Happens Next?

Responding to our request usually takes less than two minutes, but it can make a real difference to your long-term safety and care.

Last reviewed: 13 April 2026
Next review due: 13 April 2029