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.”

Mal Singh, Pharmacist at Walkers Pharmacy said “We have been doing around 70 hypertension checks and 15 Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPMs) each month, and patients have been hugely supportive and appreciative of the service. They value the confidential setting and the convenience of accessing ABPM in the pharmacy, with many GPs now referring directly to us.

The service has strengthened our role in proactively supporting the health and wellbeing of our patients and community. Over the past year we have referred numerous patients for urgent same day appoint with their GP or direct to A+E which potentially could have lead to more serious outcomes.

Our patients regularly come back giving positive feedback and thank you cards to the staff and we look forward to more service being devolved to Pharmacy.”

Zaheer Mohammed, Pharmacist at Shelley’s Pharmacy said “Our Blood Pressure Clinic is proud to provide high-quality care not only to the local community but also to GP practices from surrounding areas. We offer comprehensive clinical blood pressure services, including 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM).

With 15 ABPM machines available, we are well-equipped to accommodate a large number of patients efficiently. Our clinic plays a crucial role in early detection and timely management of hypertension-related issues.

Several patients have been urgently referred back to their GP practices or directly to A&E for further evaluation and intervention. Notably, a few weeks ago, one of our patients presented with symptoms of a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) and was promptly referred to Heartlands Hospital for timely specialist care.”

A patient from the pharmacy said “I thought high blood pressure was something that you could feel – but I felt fine. The pharmacy check showed otherwise, and now I’m making changes that could prevent serious illness”

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)