Council wins British Heart Foundation grant

The funding from the British Heart Foundation will be used over a two-year period.

The grant of £82,000 will be used to recruit and train local blood pressure advisors and to purchase equipment for people to use in their homes.

It is hoped the pilot will help identify an estimated 18,000 people in Telford & Wrekin who have undiagnosed high blood pressure.

The scheme aims to reach thousands of people who are less likely to go to their GP surgery for a blood pressure check.

The advisors will be based in community hubs and centres from April 2019 when the pilot launches.

Arnold England, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "People often don't know they have high blood pressure until it's too late as there are no symptoms – the consequences could be suffering a stroke or heart attack.

"We'll be talking with community groups on how best to roll out this pilot as they know the problems their communities face.

"This pilot is just one example of the community based approach the council is taking to keep people healthy by working closely with community groups, volunteers, and the NHS."

The pilot will aim to carry out 5,000 new blood pressure tests in each of the two years that the pilot is run.

People with high blood pressure are up to three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke, and the British Heart Foundation says about 50 per cent of heart attacks and strokes are associated with high blood pressure.

Jacqui Seaton, head of medicine management at Telford & Wrekin CCG, leading the project, said: "All too often the first time people know that they have high blood pressure is when they are admitted to hospital with a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke.

"The more that we can do to raise awareness of the risks associated with high blood pressure, the more chance we have of reducing the number of people suffering the consequences."

Paul Stern, British Heart Foundation service engagement leader for the Midlands said he was impressed with the council's community centred approach.

"This funding is among the £1.5 million that the British Heart Foundation has awarded across the country to test community-based approaches to blood pressure testing," he added.

"We urgently need to find the millions of people across the UK living with undiagnosed high blood pressure, and this innovative project in Telford & Wrekin will help us in doing that."