Taking Control of Your Heart Health: Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
At The Orchard Partnership, we want to ensure our patients have the most accurate information possible when it comes to managing their health. Monitoring your blood pressure is a vital part of your routine care, but did you know that the most reliable readings are often the ones you take yourself at home?
Why Monitor at Home? 🤔
It is very common for patients to feel a little anxious when visiting a GP surgery. This can cause your blood pressure to rise temporarily, a phenomenon known as “white coat syndrome.” 📉 By taking a series of readings in a relaxed, familiar environment like your own living room, we get a much truer picture of your average blood pressure over time. This helps your doctor or nurse make the best decisions regarding your care and medication. ☕🛋️
Investing in Your Health
Previously, the surgery loaned out blood pressure monitors for short periods. However, because reliable and accurate machines are now widely available and affordable, we are no longer renewing our loan stock.
We are encouraging patients to purchase their own monitors for long-term health tracking. You can find high-quality monitors for under £20 at local pharmacies, large supermarkets, or through the British Heart Foundation online shop. 🌟
When choosing a monitor, we recommend one that is “clinically validated” by the British and Irish Hypertension Society (BIHS). Examples of reliable models include:
- Omron M1 or M2 Basic 🛡️
- A&D Medical UA-611 🩺
- Kinetik TMB-1970 📊
Important Tip:
Please check that the cuff size is correct for your arm. If the cuff is too small or too large, the reading may not be accurate.
Bring Your Machine to Your Review!
If you are called for a health review, please bring your home monitor with you. Our clinicians can check your technique and ensure the machine is functioning correctly, giving both you and the surgery full confidence in your results.
How to Share Your Readings with Us
The most efficient, secure, and sustainable way to provide your readings is via our digital portal, SystmConnect. This sends your data directly into your clinical record, saving time and reducing the need for paper. 🌳♻️
1. Follow the link: systmonline.tpp-uk.com/2/OnlineConsultation?OrgId=J83019 🖱️
2. Select the “Admin Request” or “Medical Request” section.
3. Look for the “Blood Pressure Monitoring” option and enter your figures. ✅
If you are unable to use the online system, you may still drop in a paper list. However, it is vital that paper versions include your Name, Date of Birth, and Address or NHS Number. For data security reasons, we are unfortunately unable to process anonymous readings and must destroy any records that cannot be safely matched to a patient.
By moving to digital submissions, we are working together to reduce paper waste across our four surgeries and ensuring your clinical data is handled as safely as possible.
Thank you for helping us look after your health and our environment