Blood Pressure Check Service
In the UK there are about five million adults (one in every nine) who have high blood pressure without even knowing it, since high blood pressure itself rarely causes symptoms. The only way to know you are suffering from high blood pressure is to have it measured.
Please note that online booking is only available for Pharmacies in England.
Having a blood pressure test provides a measurement of the pressure in your arteries as your heart beats and pumps blood around your body. Our pharmacy team can interpret these readings and provide you with tailored advice. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, often has no symptoms. It can lead to more serious health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease if left undiagnosed. The NHS Blood Pressure Check Service allows you to take control of your health and allow early detection of hypertension through the use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
How does it all work?
Select the service at one of our stores, at a time and date that suits you. At your appointment, one of our friendly pharmacy team will take an initial blood pressure measurement.
The pharmacy team will interpret your blood pressure measurement, explain this to you and provide you with tailored advice. If your reading is high, you may then be offered 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. A copy of your results will be given to you.
You may be able to be fitted with the ambulatory monitor there and then, or if it is more convenient for you, you can call back within a few days. Our pharmacy team will fit the device and explain what will happen over the next 24 hours.
When you return the ambulatory monitor, our pharmacy team will interpret the results that have been taken over the last 24 hours, and explain these to you. If these are high, you may then be referred to your GP for management.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is important to be aware that high blood pressure often isn’t directly caused by anything in particular, and sometimes we do not know what causes it. However you may be more at risk if you:
- Smoke
- Have a family history of high blood pressure
- Are overweight
- Are over 65
- Are of black African or black Caribbean descent
- Eat too much salt
- Drink too much alcohol or caffeine-containing drinks
The free blood pressure check service is for;
- Adults who are 40 years and older, who do not have a current diagnosis of hypertension
- People, by exception, under the age of 40 who have a recognised family history of hypertension (at the discretion of the pharmacy team)
- People between 35-39 years old at the discretion of the pharmacy team
- Adults, with or without a hypertension diagnosis, sent by their GP
This is service is not appropriate for people who already have their blood pressure regularly monitored by a healthcare professional or for people who require daily blood pressure monitoring for any period of time.
Please note that online booking is only available for Pharmacies in England.
At the initial appointment, our pharmacy team will take as long as necessary to answer any questions you may have and discuss your results, but the blood pressure check itself takes less than a couple of minutes.
If you are eligible for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the monitor will be fitted and loaned to you for 24 hours. It will take measurements every 30 minutes during your waking hours, and once an hour during the night.
Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, doesn’t often cause any issues. However, if it is causing you problems such as dizziness or fainting, our pharmacy team can provide you with useful lifestyle advice that may ease your symptoms. In some cases, changes to your medication may be necessary with the support of your GP.
More from Rowlands Pharmacy
We have over 300 pharmacies across the UK, find your nearest one using our pharmacy finder
This pouch-based system is a simple and convenient way of administering and keeping track of medication
We have a wide range of services available, from medication management to vaccinations