Pharmacy Blood Pressure Testing Service in Gateshead

The LPC has been working with Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Gateshead CCG to develop a blood pressure testing service to identify patients with untreated hypertension, following an award of funding from the British Heart Foundation.

The service will be provided by  20 pharmacies in Gateshead, targeting areas of multiple deprivation. The service will only be available to patients registered with a  Gateshead GP practice.

Your health champion and any other appropriate member of staff will be trained as a blood pressure champion and will deliver the service. Blood pressure meters will be provided to the pharmacy. Patients identified in the pharmacy as potentially being hypertensive will be provided with a blood pressure meter to use at home for seven days and then return to the pharmacy for the results to be reviewed. All information will be recorded in PharmOutcomes and if necessary, a referral letter will be sent to the patient's GP practice and an appointment made for them.

Training will take place on Wednesday 24th April at the Clarion Hotel Bolden (6.30-7pm start)

Fees
You will be paid £10 for each patient given a home blood pressure meter, following an abnormal blood pressure reading and £10 for each patient referred to their GP.
 
There is no funding for a normal Blood Pressure reading.
All Healthy Living Pharmacies within Gateshead CCG  are invited to express an interest in providing the Blood Pressure Testing service.  In determining which pharmacies will participate in the service the CCGs will apply the following selection criteria:

• Ease of access for residents within the locality
• Location within the Gateshead CCG area with respect to other pharmacy providers
• Location within the Gateshead CCG area with respect to identified gaps in estimated prevalence of hypertension and Quality Outcomes Framework disease register for Hypertension
• Pharmacy team including locums fully aware and committed to providing the service at the time of expression
• Pharmacy willing to participate in evaluation of the service and use of PharmOutcomes to collect data

Please use  the link below to book yourself on the training and express interest for your pharmacy to take part.  If the service is oversubscribed the council will look at the areas and decide which pharmacies will be able to take part.