Derby and Derbyshire ICB were awarded funds to test models to reduce undiagnosed hypertension in Derby City, an area identified via Core20Plus5 principles as being in the most deprived 20% of the national population and has a high south Asian population identified as high risk of CVD.
The models tested included:
• Public engagement
• Communications campaigns
• Upskilling volunteers in various communities to measure blood pressure (BP)
• Increasing healthcare professional-led BP checks. We worked with the Engagement team and Derby Health Inequalities Partnership (DHIP) to run a survey and workshop events.
Feedback showed people understood hypertension risks, however many did not know where to get their BP measured and few (less than 20%) knew that community pharmacies offered a BP check service, but most (85%) would use the service.
Perceived barriers to using the community pharmacy service included misconceptions such as financial cost and availability of a private space. The communication campaigns achieved over 7.8 million impressions and significant media coverage, including BBC East Midlands Today and radio features. Culturally specific resources and translations were positively received by communities and were used at many events to increase education and has resulted in winning the NHSE Communicate Awards 2024.
Over 2 months Community Action Derby (CAD) volunteers overachieved its 400 BP checks target, delivering 909. 25% had a high or very high BP reading, which through the signposting guide, would be signposted to the community pharmacy BP service. Feedback has been positive with media interest and in-reach into communities that previously were difficult to reach even for CAD.
Due to the success, CAD have continued with the initiative after the project completed. Over 1 month GP practices were tasked to design models to maximise uptake of BP checks in the target population, engaging either virtually or face-to-face. 3224 extra BPs were taken, 31% were high or very high indicating that practices targeted and prioritised patients most at risk. 105 irregular pulses were also detected. Successful models have been adopted by practices to increase uptake of other services.
The project has achieved an increase of 4113 BPs monitored, 1228 of which (30%) were identified as high or very high. Although this would require further investigation to determine diagnosis, it is clear that a targeted approach utilising community contacts and prioritising those at higher risk or less likely to present at a healthcare setting results in greater rates of high or very high BP identification.
