Do you know your numbers? Hundreds of community pharmacies across the Midlands offer free blood pressure checks helping people understand their numbers and take steps to prevent serious conditions like heart attacks and stroke. This Know You Numbers! Week (8 – 14 September), those eligible are being encouraged to take up the offer by Midlands Chief Pharmacist Richard Seal.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms but affects more than one in four adults. Left untreated, it can lead to life-changing illness. The NHS Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service makes it easier than ever for people to get tested locally and quickly.

Recently, over the past 12 months, pharmacies in the Midlands have done over 500,000 blood pressure checks, which identified more than 14,000 cases of high blood pressure that then went on to be further managed.

Know Your Numbers Week is a global campaign to raise awareness about the importance of checking your blood pressure, especially for those who are aged 40 or over. Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure (hypertension) which rarely has noticeable symptoms but if untreated, it increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is one of the leading causes of death in England.

Richard Seal, Regional Chief Pharmacist said “High blood pressure is a silent killer – but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing your blood pressure numbers can save your life.

Thanks to our highly skilled community pharmacists, people across the Midlands can walk into their local pharmacy and get a free check. It’s quick and easy, and can prevent you having a heart attack, stroke or detect other diseases.

800,000 people in the Midlands are estimated to be living with undetected or untreated hypertension and the only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have a blood pressure check.

Don’t wait until it’s too late, pop in and speak to your community pharmacist. If you have access to a blood pressure monitor you can test yourself at home, or you can get it checked for free at your GP surgery, at many workplaces, or as part of your NHS Health Check.”

Imran Mohammed, Superintendent Pharmacist at Orchard Pharmacy in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire said “As pharmacists, we’re part of the NHS team keeping communities healthy. Know your numbers week is a great opportunity to encourage our patients to come forwards for the free blood pressure check service we provide.

We see people every day who are surprised to find their blood pressure if high. These checks give us the chance to step in early, reassure, and where needed provide or signpost to the right care.

If we know someone is eligible for a free check when they come to pick up a prescription, a member of the team or I will have an informal conversation with them about it, we can answer any questions or concerns they may have and explain the benefits. Some patients are busy and short on time asking how long it will take. It only takes a few minutes and can save your life.

A patient from the pharmacy shared “I popped into my local pharmacy to pick up a prescription when I was offered a free, on the spot blood pressure check. It only took a few minutes, in a private room and found I had high blood pressure. It’s reassuring to have caught it, and the check was quick and convenient for me.”

Another patient from Lincolnshire said “They possibly saved my life via the free BP monitoring. It was verbally offered, and I accepted on a whim, I was sent to A+E as it was so high. I am now medicated and BP under control. I will be forever grateful”.

Rahul Gohil, Pharmacist at Merridale Pharmacy said “Patient satisfaction has been great regarding the NHS blood pressure service. Most people have welcomed the check once we explain the health benefits and ease of doing it.

A patient who was over 40 with no blood pressure medication was offered to do a BP check, which he agreed. We found his blood pressure was high and offered an ABPM machine for him. Initially he was hesitant due to wearing it for a long period of time, but once we explained the benefits and alleviated any concerns he was happy to give it ago. The results from this showed he had high blood pressure. We referred him to his GP who then issued blood pressure medication.

The patient was very grateful for our intervention as we could potentially have saved a fatal event for him, and as he had no symptoms of having high blood pressure he would not have known otherwise.”

You can get your blood pressure checked at several places, including many pharmacies. The NHS community pharmacy blood pressure check service has been positively received, delivering more than a million checks nationally in the last year. The service has been positively received, allowing people to keep on top of their risk of cardiovascular disease without the need for an appointment.

Other places include at an NHS Health Check appointment offered to adults in England aged 40-74; or at your local GP surgery. It is recommended that all adults aged 40 or over have their blood pressure tested at least every five years.

The British Heart Foundation key facts confirm that every 8 minutes someone in the UK dies from coronary heart disease.  In the West Midlands, community pharmacies have found more than 33,000 people with high blood pressure in the last 6 months.  These people are now having their blood pressure managed and so their risk of heart disease is reduced.

If you have a recent blood pressure reading use the NHS Check your blood pressure tool to understand what your reading means. You’ll also get information about what to do next.

Find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Check your blood pressure reading – NHS (www.nhs.uk)