NHS pharmacies in England will now be able to provide blood pressure checks to people aged 40 and over, from October.
Thousands of lives will be saved thanks to a new deal between Main Street pharmacies and the NHS.
Deployment will begin soon
Street pharmacies will now be able to offer more blood pressure checks to people aged 40 and over under a new deal. Pharmacists will find and offer the tests to people with symptoms.
The program will be fully rolled out from October, after being tested in some pharmacies since 2019.
Predictions based on NHS data show 3,700 strokes and 2,500 heart attacks could be prevented by testing, meaning around 2,000 lives would be saved.
Minister of Health Lord Bethell said, “I would like to warmly thank the pharmacists for their hard work and commitment to providing more services to their patients, thereby helping to support a healthy nation.
“Pharmacists are the first port of call for minor ailments and it is really encouraging to see even more health services run from pharmacies, many of which are at the heart of local communities and easily accessible.
“These new blood pressure clinics are just one example of the vital and vital check-ups offered by pharmacies and will go a long way in preventing heart disease. I strongly encourage everyone to sign up for these services when they go online starting in October. “
‘Delighted’
The new contract will also see local chemists play a role in the NHS program to reduce smoking rates by offering counseling to smokers who have recently been discharged from hospital.
These measures are part of the NHS ‘larger long-term plan to dramatically reduce the number of heart attacks, strokes and cases of dementia.
Dr Shahed Ahmad, National Clinical Director for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention said: “Cardiovascular disease kills 136,000 per year and is a major cause of health inequalities, around half of heart attacks and strokes are associated with high blood pressure.
“Finding and controlling high blood pressure is one of the best things we can do to save lives and reduce health inequalities. Community pharmacists are ideally placed to do this life-saving work and I am delighted that they are now offering blood pressure checks. “
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Source: www.bedfordtoday.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-24 19:55:42
