The NHS in Gloucestershire is supporting Know Your Numbers Week, an annual campaign led by charity Blood Pressure UK, with a series of health check drop-in events where people can get their blood pressure checked.

One Gloucestershire’s Information Bus and the Outreach Vaccination and Health Team will be out and about every day from Monday 2 September to Sunday 8 September* at locations across the county.

People can drop-in for a blood pressure check and a chat with members of the team about how to make positive changes to their health or wellbeing and get further support if needed.

Dr Graham Mennie, local GP and Clinical Lead and Chair, Circulatory Clinical Programme Group, NHS Gloucestershire.

“High blood pressure is a major cause of heart attacks and stroke. Around one in three adults have high blood pressure, but many don’t realise it because it often doesn’t have any symptoms until it’s too late.

That’s why it’s so important to take the time to find out your numbers and start making healthy lifestyle changes or taking medicines if you need them to help bring your blood pressure down.”

Oonagh Wilson, Clinical Lead, Community Outreach Vaccination and Health Team at Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“Know Your Numbers Week is a good opportunity to talk about the importance of being aware of your blood pressure. We all lead busy, often stressful, lives but taking some time to think about our health and wellbeing and understanding the importance of stats like blood pressure is key to preventing things like heart attacks and strokes.

Our fantastic health team will be out and about in the community all week, offering simple health checks, including blood pressure, and chatting to people about simple changes they can make to their lifestyle, such as stopping smoking, improving their diet, or increasing exercise.

In Gloucestershire, the Outreach Vaccination and Health Team have given more than 1,250 BP checks at drop-in health check events over the last year, with around 150 people referred to their GP for further support.

How to access a blood pressure check:

  • At a pharmacy (use the NHS website to find a pharmacy close to you)
  • The Community Vaccination and Health team are regularly visiting locations around the county delivering simple health checks, including blood pressure. Check their webpage for dates and locations.
  • At your local GP Surgery – Some GP surgeries have a blood pressure machine in their waiting room, or you may be able to book a check with a member of the surgery team
  • You can also check your blood pressure yourself with a home blood pressure monitor. Home monitoring can be a really useful way of keeping track of your blood pressure. To make sure you get reliable readings, it’s important to use a monitor that’s suitable for you and that you know how to use it. Find out more about home blood pressure monitoring on the Blood Pressure UK website, or speak to a pharmacist about what type of monitor may best suit your needs.

Find out more about the Check Your Blood Pressure campaign and how to access a BP check on the NHS Gloucestershire website.