NHS Blood Pressure Check

Why bother getting it checked?

• High blood pressure usually has no symptoms until it causes a stroke, heart attack, or kidney damage. It's called "the silent killer" for that reason.
• Roughly one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. About half don't know it.
• Once detected, it's very treatable — through lifestyle changes alone for many, plus simple medication if needed.
• NHS England funds free pharmacy BP checks specifically because catching it early saves lives.

Who's eligible

• Anyone aged 40 or over — no need to justify why.
• Under 40 with a risk factor — family history of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, or AF.
• Pregnant or postpartum with concerns — we'll usually refer to your midwife / GP at the same time.
• Already on BP treatment and want a check between GP appointments — yes, we can do that too.

What we'll do — in 5 minutes

1. Walk in. We'll ask if you've eaten, drunk caffeine, smoked, or exercised in the last 30 minutes (any of those can raise readings).
2. Sit down for 5 minutes to relax in a private area — important for accuracy.
3. We take the reading using a calibrated automated device on your bare upper arm.
4. We usually take two readings, two minutes apart, and use the lower one. If they differ a lot, we take a third.
5. We tell you the result, explain what it means, and decide together what (if anything) to do next.

What the numbers mean (NICE guidance)

Blood pressure is two numbers: systolic (the higher one, when your heart pushes blood) over diastolic (the lower one, between beats). NICE classifies adult readings as follows.

A single high reading isn't a diagnosis. NICE recommends multiple readings, sometimes including at-home or ambulatory monitoring, before starting treatment. We'll explain the next steps based on your reading.