We regularly review patient records at the practice to maintain and improve quality and the care you receive. During a recent review, we noted that over the last 2 years we have recorded a high blood pressure reading for you (above 140/90) during visits to the practice.
Why might my blood pressure have been high?
There are lots of reasons why your blood pressure can be high when measured in the practice. The most likely reason is that you were unwell at the time of measurement. However, it could also be because your blood pressure is too high, in which case we might need to do something to help.
There are a lot of people whose blood pressure is normal but reads high regularly when checked in the GP surgery. This may be due to anxiety associated with medical appointments (even if you don’t feel physically anxious at the time), known as ‘white coat hypertension’. In these patients their blood pressure is often normal when checked by themselves at home, or in a more relaxed environment.
Why is this important?
Persistent high blood pressure, called “Hypertension”, is a silent disease where a person’s blood pressure is raised most of the time. This can increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke over the course of a lifetime.
What we would like you to do
We would like to recheck your blood pressure over the next couple of weeks. For the patients whose repeat readings are below 140/90, the previous readings can be classed as a ‘one off’ and no further action will be currently needed.
Methods for rechecking and reporting your blood pressure
We would like you to submit blood pressure readings to the surgery. If you already have a monitor, or can buy one or borrow one from a friend, you can get a monitoring form to email us on our website. Alternatively, you can borrow a machine from the surgery reception free of charge.
Alternatively, please book with one of our team to have another check in the surgery.
What will happen next?
After you have submitted your readings they will be reviewed alongside your record. You will either receive a response saying ‘your BP was fine, no further action is needed’ or a different message with further instructions – likely asking you to make a further appointment.
Last modified: April 5, 2024