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Just had a random text from my GP (who I very rarely ever visit) asking me to submit a blood pressure reading. Just curious really, is this a standard age related initiative?
Can't recall ever having had mine taken by a GP. Did mess around with a machine my wife was plugged into once post surgery. No one died and my BP seemed OK....
I guess I'll have to buy a monitor now....
Yes I have had that text from the GP surgery. Some pharmacies will do blood pressure tests although the practice nurse should do too. No need to buy a monitor.
Our surgery has a blood pressure machine in the waiting room so you can just pop in and use it. If its a regular thing then they are cheap to buy
Might be an age related thing....I work in a GP Practice. We often ask patients to do a weeks worth of home readings as it gives a far more accurate picture than one off readings in a Consultation Room. I don't think we send out random requests though...
Just a bit out the blue and I've not hit any significant age milestones recently, although I did turn 50 at the start of the pandemic and maybe they're just catching back up with the routine admin type stuff....
Of course they could have sent the text to the wrong person....
Yes, Ive got those from my doctor's surgery. No particular age milestone when they started but it did say they have no blood pressure for me noted in last 5 years
Of course they could have sent the text to the wrong person….
Did the text not address you by your name? For some bizarre reason they used my first and middle names but not my surname in the text they sent me.
Did the text not address you by your name?
ooops, yep it did - so it was for me!
I think it's the shock of them contacting me, in my mind I'm still an indestructible 20 years old with a full head of dark hair. I've not yet come to terms with my ailing body! Every time I get my hair cut I am genuinely surprised to see clumps of silver hair falling down my shoulders. I've been grey / silver for 20+ years....
Yes, got asked as mine was high in the practie - always is. Forgot as we've had a sort out and the BP meter is burried under stuff. Blood tests same time, but no call back so not dead yet.
Might have something to do with a QOF target?? Certainly if you don’t have a reading on record in the past five years.
QOF points means prizes…for the practice that is
Yeah there is a qof target. Everyone needs to have had a bp check in the last 5 years. Gotta tick those boxes.
I saw a 95 year old lady this week who had been invited along with her daughter for bp checks by the pharmacy. Was told at the chemists it was up but it wasn’t actually when we rechecked it. I told her to not let anyone check her bp ever again unless she is poorly! Computer wants me to “consider statin” as well. I considered it for a nano second. I sometimes think we have #toomuchmedicine🙄
But if you are like most of us on here, male (or female) and middle aged, yes, get your blood pressure checked every once in a while.
footflaps - the hair colour you describe is referred to as 'distinguished' when you pass a certain age.
Just be thankful that you have any hair to go grey
Might be worth doing.
My wife was asked to record hers for a week as it was always sky high at the Doctors but normal whenever she had it taken elsewhere such as hospital before an operation. We got a cheap test machine for convenience and I offered to measure mine as well to show what a lovely supporting person I am.
A week later we sent in the results. My wife got a text saying she was fine but I got a phone call from the doctor himself telling me to sit down, calm down, don't start reading any long books and possibly call an ambulance as my readings were in the deadly heart attack zone all week long despite having no obvious symptoms. A few lifestyle changes and all is fine again but checking does no harm and is easy and painless.
my readings were in the deadly heart attack zone all week long despite having no obvious symptoms. A few lifestyle changes and all is fine again
From deadly heart attack zone to all fine with just a few lifestyle changes?? Wtf were you doing? Or not doing
I wouldn't trust the blood pressure machine in the surgery reception. I spent a busy day ferrying my wife around various hospitals because the machine gave a bogus reading, the practice didn't confirm with a manual check and the practice sent us to the wrong hospital.
Despite all the running around when my wife's blood pressure was checked by a human it was fine.
[i]From deadly heart attack zone to all fine with just a few lifestyle changes?? Wtf were you doing?[/i]
Knocked off the alcohol and lost 3 stone
my readings were in the deadly heart attack zone all week long despite having no obvious symptoms. A few lifestyle changes and all is fine again
I'm assuming I'll be normal. Last (and only) time I had a play (wife's vital signs machine) - I only unplugged her for a few minutes 😉
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/1445/25080124960_719ba38a6d.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/1445/25080124960_719ba38a6d.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/EdfcnA ]BP[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Just be thankful that you have any hair to go grey
Apparently I'm thinning on top - so might not be distinguished for too many more years....
BP monitors are cheap now and work very well. I’d not be taking up a GP or Nurse appointment for something you can do yourself. You’ll also get more readings at various time by doing them at home so more accurate.
My neighbour was advised to get a b p monitor by a relative which she did and found that her b p was slightly raised and now she is fretting about how to lower it.
She is ninety one FFS and still does keep fit and ballroom dancing.
It really has knocked her confidence for no good reason at all.
Never had a request to submit a BP test result, I’ve had one taken several times over the last couple of years or so when I’ve visited the surgery, but I work twelve hour days, and I’ve no plans to buy a monitor any time soon, so they’d have to give me an appointment at a time convenient to my work shift patterns.
I had high BP flagged by a hospital at a pre-op appointment. Was told to do what I could for the following 2 weeks (before the actual operation) to lower it so I cut out what little alcohol I drink, reduced salt as much as possible etc.
I also borrowed a BP monitor device from a friend and was taking regular readings, all of which came out about 10-15% higher than "normal" BP of 120/80.
It made no difference whatsoever - in fact when I went back to hospital it was higher than before so they cancelled the op. Eventually, after a LOT of back and forth with GP, the BP monitor readings and the hospital, I had the operation and they seem to have have sort of accepted that my BP is just that high.
No other factors - low alcohol consumption, BMI at the low end of normal, never smoked, healthy(ish) diet...
The GP said they would never take one reading done in a clinic environment, they would always look to use a 2-week collection of readings done by the patient at home as they know that clinic environments always lead to elevated BP.
I've just spent £18 on Amazon buying one....
Mine is back in the danger zone, got to see doc tomorrow. I was fine until the AstraZeneca jab a year or so ago. Been on BP tablets since.
Mine was fine until I seen 2 magpies.
who I very rarely ever visit
This'll be why...
As has been said, it's useful to get an idea of BP as though it's unsexy medicine, controlling the nation's BP is the best way of reducing cardiac disease..
Also, there's a drive to reduce health inequality by getting checks at the footie/asda etc..
GPs will also be checking pulses to look for AF..
DrP
It really has knocked her confidence for no good reason at all.
That's the problem isn't it, people can get a bit obsessed and take their BP constantly for no good reason, often after doing something which is likely to elevate it anyway, and then they getting panicky and worried, which then leads to taking BP even more often.
BP monitors are cheap now and work very well. I’d not be taking up a GP or Nurse appointment for something you can do yourself.
This is curious. As you said, BP control is important on a population level. It's obviously part of the surgery's remit because there are QOF points on offer and yet it's not worth your (nurse's) time?
Well that was disappointing!
Managed to get two actual readings and about 37 'Err 6' codes out of it! Although with that hit rate, I wouldn't trust the readings (118/62).
Err 6 is helpfully described as 'too much interference' and it then says follow usage instructions (which I have done).
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52134065719_c8766dbff4.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52134065719_c8766dbff4.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nqUHq4 ]Err 6[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Managed to get two actual readings and about 37 ‘Err 6’ codes out of it!
I bet that was stressful. My blood pressure would have gone through the roof.
I have that monitor. Never had an issue with it. It's first one on amazon results isn't it? If you think its faulty then just get an exchange
Assuming no human error, and unless there's a software fault, can a BPMachine actually ever get it 'wrong'? - Surely it's just counting beats and doing a basic bit of math - quite binary
(interested to know)
I've always used the Omron ones, which are the same as they use at my surgery. Never have a problem. My watch does it now too - it's calibrated against the Omron and seems accurate enough for keeping an eye on it.
I get hypertensive episodes, on meds for that. GP asks for a week's worth of readings now and again.
This is curious. As you said, BP control is important on a population level. It’s obviously part of the surgery’s remit because there are QOF points on offer and yet it’s not worth your (nurse’s) time?
Not to just get on BP taken but if you’ve taken 3 to 4 readings a day for around a week or so and they are high then it would be.
@footflaps I have that one too. It means you have a leak.
Well after many passive aggressive texts from the GP (starting a whole 48 hours after the first one) reminding me that I still haven't completed the form, I received, this morning, their final demand - 'you have until today to submit your BP reading or else we'll repossess your heart'.
So, nipped off to Boots and bought their cheapest one at £19, which appears to work fine. Had to wait long enough for my BP to drop below 120 post ride and just submitted the first one which looks reasonably healthy.
Phew!
I had several of these texts, out of the blue. Age 46, and not just after a birthday or anything. Mrs F (47) has not had similar requests.
I wasn't going to bother, until I started fainting regularly, so went to the practice and they have a little booth where you can do BP and pulse yourself, it prints a little ticket with your BP. Was told to do it 5 times and submit the middle 3.
Anyway, BP a bit low, about but the text messages have stopped at least.
To be honest £19 to not have to visit the GP surgery is a bargain! It's just full of ill people 😉
and yet it’s not worth your (nurse’s) time?
This one BP002 (the measure of all pats over 45 who've a BP reading in the last 5 years) is a huge number of pats, and can be simply done by a fairly active group who are (largely) compliant with text message prompting It's (only)15 points and because it rolls over for 5 years is easily achievable while the limited nursing staff get on with more complex stuff.
If I look at my QOF position form a month ago, we're at 81% achieved (target is 90%) with more than 250 days still to go.
Worth doing at least quarterly for anyone over 40 or on any meds. Easy way for NHS to spot issues early and save money on ops.