What is high blood pressure?
High Blood Pressure is the largest known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hardly ever has symptoms. If left untreated it puts strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs such as your kidneys and eyes. Having ongoing untreated high blood pressure can cause heart attacks, strokes, dementia and can have fatal consequences.
The only way you can know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure check done.
Feeling fine doesn’t mean you’re fine.
Who is at risk?
Certain things can increase your chances of having high blood pressure. People over the age of 40, people who have a Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian ethnic background, people who are overweight, and those who drink too much alcohol and/or smoke, are all more at risk of high blood pressure.
Where can I get my blood pressure checked for free?
Telford & Wrekin Council are currently running a Community Blood Pressure Project which attends local groups and services to offer free blood pressure checks to residents.
Community Blood Pressure Project sessions:
| Date | Location | Time |
| Every Thursday | Brookside Central, Bembridge TF3 1LP | 10am – 12noon |
| First and third Tuesday of the month | The Sambrook Centre, Stirchley TF3 1FL | 10am – 12noon |
The Live Well Community Hubs:
We also offer blood pressure checks at all of the Live Well Community Hubs across Telford.
Your local pharmacy:
If you’re over 40 and not on blood pressure medication, you can also get your blood pressure checked for free at your local community pharmacy.
What happens at a community blood pressure check?
To have your blood pressure checked, you will first be asked to sit so that your feet are both flat on the ground, and your arm is supported by a table or other form of support. An inflatable cuff attached to a monitor will then be wrapped around your upper arm (you may be asked to remove items of thick clothing layers that make it difficult to put the cuff in the correct place).
In a community setting your blood pressure might be affected just by being in unfamiliar surroundings or by the journey to the setting. So if, when we take your first reading, it is a little bit raised, we will take a further 2 readings and record the lowest of those. If your lowest reading is still above 139/89 your community Blood Pressure Checker will take some details from you and signpost you to a local Community Pharmacy for Ambulatory Testing (ABPM or 24-hour testing as some prefer to call it).
We will also ask you some simple questions about your lifestyle.
These test are free and quick to do.
Interested in volunteering?
Volunteers are always needed to become Community Blood Pressure Checkers in the community. We know that those who currently volunteer with the project experience a boost to their wellbeing and feel a sense of purpose – they’ve also made new friends and gained skills.
You can find out more about this role and how to apply on the Volunteer Telford website.
Or if you’re an organisation, group or workplace and you and your volunteers are interested in becoming Blood Pressure Checkers please get in touch, we have training dates throughout the rest of the year. Email us at communitybp@telford.gov.uk