Huw Merriman, MP for the Bexhill and Battle constituency, has nominated Bexhill GP, Dr Suneeta Kochhar, who is also a Clinical Lead for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Sussex, and Ms Marie Hockley, Deputy Chief Officer, Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex, for an NHS Parliamentary Award for their innovative blood pressure pathway.
Raised blood pressure is the greatest risk factor in cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes. It is also the largest cause of the life expectancy gap between the least and most deprived areas in Sussex. High blood pressure is symptomless and can go undetected.
Dr Kochhar and Ms Hockley, working on behalf of NHS Sussex and Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex, created a new system to help pharmacies and GP surgeries to work together to support patients and identifying people at risk. Huw met Dr Kochhar and Ms Hockley in Bexhill to find out more about the service they designed.
Dr Kochhar explained “We have aligned the NHS Community Pharmacy BP Check Service with the national Cardiovascular Disease prevention agenda. The main aim of this service is to identify people aged 40 years or older with high blood pressure and to promote healthy behaviours to patients. We have developed a pathway to maximise the use of the service and increase the detection rate of people who have raised blood pressure and are not aware of it.”
The NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service was introduced in October 2021. Marie Hockley explained the technology behind the pathway “Our pathway was developed using AccuRx, a digital system which can send bespoke secure text messages. Our text messaging included a link to local participating pharmacies with maps. If high blood pressure or hypertension is confirmed at a pharmacy check-up, then patients are referred to their GP to receive treatment.”
The service began with 3 pilots in Sussex, including the Bexhill Primary Care Network (PCN). In the pilots, 2683 text messages were sent out to people over 40 and those who had a previously raised blood pressure check at their GP surgery. 57% of patients responded to the messages and visited a pharmacy for a check-up. Of those 77 patients had a new diagnosis of raised blood pressure or hypertension that was then managed by their GP.
As the pilots were so successful, the service has been rolled out to 9 PCNs and 38 practices over the last year so far. Their work has been recognised nationally and they are a finalist in the HSJ Awards for Digital Innovator of the Year.
Following the meeting, Huw visited Collis Pharmacy in Bexhill for a blood pressure test with local pharmacist, Fahim Chowdhury. Fahim told Huw about the important role that pharmacies play in delivering NHS services, like blood pressure testing which help to prevent serious illness.
Huw said “I was delighted to nominate Dr Kochhar and Ms Hockley for an NHS Parliamentary award. They have developed an important and accessible service for patients which will help prevent and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is huge potential for GP surgeries and pharmacies to work collaboratively to deliver services like this to their patients. Community pharmacies are an essential part of NHS primary care services and it’s good to see their services continue to expand in this innovative way.”
Above: Huw meeting Dr Suneeta Kochhar and Marie Hockley in Bexhill earlier this month.
