High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

The foundation of this NHS service is the belief that individuals over 40 years old should be considered for hypertension treatment if they have a confirmed high blood pressure reading after ambulatory monitoring and considering specific risk factors.

Importance of Preventing CVD

CVD is the second leading cause of premature death in England, after cancer, impacting 7 million people. It accounts for a quarter of all premature deaths. High blood pressure significantly raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but timely detection and treatment can lead to longer, healthier lives. The NHS Long Term Plan aims to address health inequalities and prevent ill health, with a goal to prevent 150,000 strokes and heart attacks caused by CVD over the next decade.

What the Service Will Provide

A community pharmacy like ours will opportunistically measure the blood pressure of consenting adults by offering free checks to those who:

• Are over 40 years old
• Have not been diagnosed with hypertension or a related condition
• Have not had their blood pressure measured by a health professional in the last six months

At the end of a consultation, depending on the readings:

• Normal BP: The pharmacist will recommend healthy behaviours.
• High BP: The pharmacist will offer Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) and promote healthy behaviours.
• Very High BP: The pharmacist will urgently advise the patient to see their GP within 24 hours and will notify the patient’s GP practice via NHS mail or another locally agreed platform.
• Low BP: The pharmacist will provide appropriate advice and may refer the patient to their GP if there are any risks.

All blood pressure readings are sent to the GP from the community pharmacy to update records and ensure proper action is taken. We recognise the critical importance of our role in the NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service and are proud to be regarded as a leading provider of this service in Dedham.