Easing GP pressure: Blood pressure check tool

As reported by Enhanced Primary Care, a new tool helps ease the pressure on GPs by guiding patients to nearby pharmacies for free blood pressure checks.

NHS.uk has launched this new tool to support healthcare professionals and patients find their nearest pharmacy. Now would be a good time of year to share this service giving plenty of time to support patients to manage their hypertension before the end of the year.

As a practice, knowing your local pharmacies that offer the service will support your care navigation team and allow you to have a conversation with them about the appropriate referral of these patients back to the practice.

A new service finder on NHS.uk allows healthcare professionals and patients to search for and find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks. The tool explains who is eligible to go to a pharmacy to get their blood pressure checked and can be searched using a postcode, with the nearest pharmacy listed first. Blood pressure conditions pages on NHS.UK have also been updated to signpost to the blood pressure pharmacy finder.