Blood Pressure Checks

    High blood is one of the biggest contributors to stroke and heart attack. Now, a new initiative has been launched to help people monitor their blood pressure more closely.

    Around seven-and-a-half million people in the UK live with heart and circulatory diseases and with a growing ageing population, the numbers are set to rise still further.

    A new initiative has been launched to help people monitor their blood pressure more closely. As part of a nationwide campaign, all NHS High Street pharmacies in South Somerset will offer free blood pressure checks to people aged 40 and above, beginning from October. 

    The NHS believes that over the next five years, the tests will prevent 3,700 strokes, 2,500 heart attacks and 2,000 lives. Predictions also show that if two-and-a-half million people have their blood pressure checked at an NHS pharmacy, an additional quarter of a million people would receive lifesaving treatment for hypertension.     
     
    The initiative is the latest step to find thousands more people living with cardiovascular disease and prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes cases every year. Pharmacists will case-find and offer blood pressure tests to people aged 40 and over who show symptoms and provide clinical and lifestyle advice or referral, to speed up access to care.   

    More from Community & Charity News

    • Adrian Dening's Stars Over Somerset

      Monday 10th to Sunday 16th March 2025

    • Car Free Route

      The Curry Rivel Active Travel Group has been working for several years to create a link within the village to a planned car-free route across the Somerset Levels

    • False Fire Alarms

      Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says it’s dealing with an increase in false alarm calls.

    • Fallen Leaves

      If you have fallen leaves on your property from trees in an adjoining garden, there are rules about who is responsible for cleaning them up.

    • Free Council Car Parks?

      Somerset Council has launched a review of parking charges, which could result in an end to free parking at car parks run by the Council.

    • Dog DNA

      Avon and Somerset Police are encouraging dog owners to protect their pets from theft by entering their details into a DNA doggy database.

    • Mobile Phones in Vehicles

      Somerset County Council’s road safety team is working with partners to urge drivers to keep their fixed eyes on the road.

    • Clean up our Countryside

      Two new litter-pick stations have been installed, equipped with litter pickers and reusable bags for anyone to borrow and do their own two-minute clean-up at countryside sites across South Somerset.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 9°C | Low: 1°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 1°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 1°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain shower

      High: 8°C | Low: 1°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 8°C | Low: 1°C

    Recently Played