Pharmacies double blood pressure checks as local NHS teams target barbershops and supermarkets

The number of blood pressure checks for people over 40 being carried out in pharmacies has more than doubled, from just under 60 000 in May last year to nearly 150 000 in May 2023, NHS England has said.

The expansion of checks comes as many local NHS teams, learning from the initiatives carried out during the covid-19 vaccination rollout, have been working with community groups to boost access to blood pressure check in places such as supermarkets, mosques, barbershops, and dominoes clubs.

NHS England has said new funding, committed as part of the primary care access recovery …