Taking blood pressure tests to community settings in South Yorkshire
Taking blood pressure tests to community settings in South Yorkshire
Working in tandem with the South Yorkshire Integrated Care System , we supported the Barnsley Place CVD and Lipid Community project , an extension of the popular ‘ How ’ s Thi Ticker ?’ campaign .
Life expectancy in Barnsley is lower than the national average and there are a significant number of people at high risk of CVD , so it was important to detect the root cause and develop an innovative approach to reach people and encourage them to have a blood pressure test .
The ‘ How ’ s Thi Ticker ?’ campaign targets middle aged men by taking blood pressure clinics to community settings such as barber shops , markets , libraries and community centres . Building on this successful prevention initiative , the InHIP project broadened the scope to include community pharmacy referrals for lipid testing if a person ’ s blood pressure was high .
The InHIP project also established a successful partnership with Barnsley Football Club , engaging with targeted demographic groups through their Walking Football and Sporting Memories initiatives . In total , 27 people took part in these physical activity events , and while the numbers were modest , the project team were able to educate participants and conduct heart health testing . This proved effective in reaching the intended population indicating potential for scalability . Using sports facilities for future health checks has the potential to further enhance outreach and impact , fostering continued collaboration between the sports and health sectors .
The positive outcomes for patients include :
• More than 2,000 people ( up to February 2024 ) accessed blood pressure checks and lipid advice and resources , through ‘ How ’ s Thi Ticker ?’ community events delivered in areas with high health inequalities . 40 % of attendees were identified as having high blood pressure and referred to either a GP or a local community pharmacy .
• Of the Core20PLUS5 population group , 381 patients were identified at risk of coronary heart disease and were not on lipid-regulating drugs ; 130 declined optimisation , however 251 were optimised .
The initiative has managed to secure funding to sustain activity and the range of advice areas being offered is being expanded to cover respiratory advice ( including smoking cessation ) and some early cancer screening , in line with NHS Core20PLUS5 priorities .
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27 Transforming Lives Through Innovation