Middlesbrough Council is using funding from the North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to improve free access to testing in the community.
Identifying high blood pressure can help prevent heart attacks and strokes with the programme particularly targeting people who wouldn’t usually visit their doctor.
Two kiosks have been installed at Newport Hub in the town centre and Nur Fitness in Linthorpe. The project contributes to one of Middlesbrough Council’s four key priorities – for the town to be a healthy place.
In addition to the kiosks, over 20 other community venues have been awarded grant funding from the Council to provide portable testing units, allowing people to check their blood pressure, understand their numbers and take any necessary action.
Mark Adams, Joint Director of Public Health for South Tees, has welcomed the programme.
“We need to do all we can to increase early detection of health problems, particularly in communities where we know there is a higher risk,” he said.
“Large parts of the town suffer from low healthy life expectancy and measures such as this can play their part in creating a better quality of life.
“I’d like to thank the NHS for working in partnership with us on this important project that can be genuinely life changing.”
Michelle Stamp, Consultant in Public Health for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside our community partners to improve access to blood pressure testing for our residents across Middlesbrough.
“By providing this service in our communities we are hoping to make it as easy as possible for people to access testing. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms but can lead to serious health consequences The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a simple non-invasive blood pressure test.”
Community blood pressure champions will be able to advise around results and promote healthy behaviours. Community champions will also be able to support people to access a range of local lifestyle services that could positively impact on their health.
Voluntary and community organisations are key partners in the project with community centre staff and volunteers being trained as blood pressure champions to offer advice around the results, provide healthy lifestyle advice and signpost to services if required.
Sessions organised by the BME Network in Middlesbrough saw testing take place at CVFM Radio and the Al Mustafa Centre.
Mohammed Asif, chairman of the Al Mustafa Centre, said: “Bringing the mobile blood pressure kiosk was a fantastic idea. Our congregation members found the service very convenient, allowing the Public Health South Tees team to reach people who otherwise would have been missed by the regular
screening programmes.”
People with high blood pressure readings will have access to loaned home testing kits to monitor their readings themselves ahead of potential medical appointments.
The project is being launched during Blood Pressure UK’s ‘Know Your Numbers!’ Week.
