pressure machine at Watford General Hospital
People visiting hospitals managed by West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will be able to get a free blood pressure check while they wait for their appointment.
Self-service blood pressure machines are available at the outpatients departments at Watford General, Hemel Hempstead, and St Albans City hospitals. The machines are easy to use, with step by step instructions available.
West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) are working on a joint project to increase opportunities for people to check their blood pressure.
Around one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure, but only half of those know about it. High blood pressure (hypertension) doesn’t usually have any obvious symptoms, making it an invisible threat to many. Untreated high blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, and also of conditions such as kidney disease and heart failure. Knowing your blood pressure, and taking action, can help to reduce your risk.
Dr Rishi Fofaria, Clinical Lead for Outpatients at West Herts, said: “Coming to an outpatient appointment is an ideal time to help people become more aware of other aspects of their health. Checking your blood pressure only takes a few minutes and our staff are on hand if people have any questions.”
Local GP and ICB clinical lead for heart disease, Dr Corina Ciobanu said: “We are delighted to be working with West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to promote these blood pressure checks. It’s such a simple test to do, but ‘knowing your numbers’ could potentially save your life."
The local NHS wants to encourage as many people aged 40 and over to have their blood pressure checked this summer. As well as the new machines at Watford, St Albans and Hemel hospitals outpatient departments, more than 200 pharmacies across Hertfordshire and west Essex are signed up to provide free blood pressure checks. People who are Black or South Asian are more likely to be at risk from high blood pressure, so if this applies to you or your family members, please do come forward for a quick, free and painless check.
Find out more information about blood pressure checks and your nearest participating pharmacy at: hertsandwestessex.ics.nhs.uk/bp