Next week (5-11 September) is Know Your Numbers Week, an annual awareness initiative by Blood Pressure UK to promote the importance of regular blood pressure checks, especially for the over 40s.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects over 6 million people in England. One in four premature deaths are caused by CVD and it is a leading cause of disability.

This year, the NHS is raising awareness of the access points that people can get their blood pressure checked, including community pharmacies. Latest figures show that between October 2021 and 1 July 2022 the NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service delivered over 275,000 blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring checks to people aged 40 and over.

To date around 8,423 pharmacies are set up to deliver the service across England and it is estimated that 4,400 lives could be saved in the next five years by increasing the number of checks carried out.

Please help to support the public to get their blood pressure checked for free at an NHS community pharmacy, an NHS Health Check appointment offered to adults in England aged 40-74, at home or at their local GP surgery. Find resources and more information at NHS UK and the British Heart Foundation website.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay