A regionwide drive has got underway to help people aged 40-plus protect themselves against the hidden threat of high blood pressure, one of the biggest causes of premature death in the South West. 

Supermarkets, sports matches, libraries, workplaces, festivals and concerts will be hosting simple and free NHS blood pressure checks. Anyone with high blood pressure – known as the ‘silent killer’ as it rarely has symptoms - can then be managed by their doctor or even manage their own condition through lifestyle changes. 

Big steps have been taken with 37,505 additional patients tested and treated between September 2023 and March 2024 – three times as many as in the same period the year before. 

Many local pharmacies are now offering free blood pressure checks and people can check what the result might mean using the NHS blood pressure checker. 

However, more effort is needed to reach those who are still unaware of their high risk. That’s why health and care systems have ramped up blood pressure checks. 

Among the many employers supporting the campaign are clotted cream manufacturers Rodda’s who are offering staff free check-ups on their blood pressure from trained health professionals in the workplace. 

Dr Michael Marsh, regional medical director for NHS England South West, said: “You could think of high blood pressure in your blood vessels like the water pressure in a garden hose - when the water flows through the hose normally everything is fine. 

“But if you put your finger on the end and block the flow, the pressure builds and you may get leaks from the hose. When you have high blood pressure this can have a detrimental impact on your organs and puts you at risk of a heart attack or stroke. 

“Left undetected and untreated high blood pressure becomes a silent killer, because it rarely has symptoms. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get it checked.” 

The drive coincides with Blood Pressure UK’s Know Your Numbers Week (September 2-8), and will continue throughout the month and beyond. 

Professor Margaret Rae, NHS England South West’s deputy director of regional health programmes, said: “Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many will not realise it. 

“We have made great progress in the numbers of people that have been seen and treated for high blood pressure but more must be done.”

In the South West, identifying an additional 83,700 people, who may have high blood pressure, could prevent 503 heart attacks and 749 strokes, saving the NHS approximately £14 million. 

Professor Rae added: “The only way we can reach the thousands of people and potentially save hundreds of lives is by working together with our community pharmacies and GPs, who also offer free blood press checks, our local authority colleagues and public health teams. 

“We’re also grateful to the region’s compassionate employers who have accepted the invitation to offer these free blood pressure checks to their staff.”

Family and friends can help encourage their loved ones to have their blood pressure checked if they are aged 40-plus, perhaps by purchasing a cheap and easy-to-use blood pressure monitor that can be used at home. 

Individuals are usually considered to have high blood pressure if aged under 80 years old and the reading is either 140/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional or 135/85 or higher when checked at home. 

Checks in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will be offered at: 

For more information on blood pressure checks, visit www.england.nhs.uk/south/our-work/blood-pressure/