New drop-in blood pressure testing launched at Hartlepool’s Community Hubs 

It’s estimated that six million people in England live with undiagnosed high blood pressure. This can occur naturally with age, but lifestyle choices such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking are all contributory factors.

Keeping an eye on your blood pressure with regular blood pressure checks can help prevent heart disease and strokes as well as a range of other health conditions.

To make this a lot easier, adults in Hartlepool can now use dedicated blood pressure testing kiosks which have been installed in Community Hub Central in York Road and Community Hub South in Wynyard Road.

They are free to use and there’s no need to book. Just drop in and trained Hub staff – ‘Blood Pressure Champions’ – are on hand to help you take the reading and to give advice.

In addition, the Hubs also have 60 easy-to-use home blood pressure monitoring kits which residents who are shown to have a high average blood pressure can borrow for seven days to check their blood pressure at home and then share their readings directly with their GP.

This new Community Hubs service has been made possible after Hartlepool Borough Council secured funding from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. 

The launch of the kiosks coincides with national Know Your Numbers Week this week, run by the charity Blood Pressure UK, which aims to lower the nation’s blood pressure to prevent death and disability from stroke and heart disease.

Councillor Brenda Harrison checks her blood pressure at one of the new kiosks, helped by Blood Pressure Champion Priscilla Deane

Councillor Brenda Harrison, Chair of the Hartlepool Health and Wellbeing Board and Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, dropped in to Community Hub Central to get her own blood pressure checked at one of the kiosks.

Councillor Harrison said: “The NHS recommends that all adults over 40 have their blood pressure tested at least every five years and ideally every year if your blood pressure is borderline – or if you have any risk factors – so that any potential problems can be detected early.

“We are delighted to launch this new service at our Community Hubs – it’s quick and easy to use and it could help you avoid serious health issues further down the line.”