Free Blood Pressure Checks

June is Measure Your Pressure month, and residents across Medway are being encouraged to get their free blood pressure check this month.
Medway Council’s Public Health team will be touring Medway with drop-in clinics where you can get your check. There is no need to book, you can simply turn up.
High blood pressure does not usually cause any symptoms, meaning many people have it without realising. In the UK, roughly one in three adults has high blood pressure.
Last year, more than 600 checks were carried out in Medway during Measure Your Pressure month. Of those, 170 people were referred to their GP for a clinical follow-up and 55 people were referred to the NHS Health Check programme or Medway’s Stop Smoking Service.

Of the checks carried out last year:

• 16 per cent saw high or very high systolic readings,
• 20.5 per cent saw high or very high diastolic readings,
• 5 per cent saw irregular pulse rhythms detected, requiring clinical follow-up.

What do the numbers mean?
Blood pressure readings are given as two numbers.The first number measures the pressure your blood is pushing against your artery walls when your heart beats. This is known as systolic blood pressure, and is the higher number on the reading.The second number measures the pressure your blood is pushing against your artery walls when your heart rests between beats. This is known as diastolic blood pressure, and will be the lower number.

You are usually considered to have high blood pressure if your reading is:

• 140/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional, or
• 135/85 or higher when checked at home.

• Grain Library
  29 Chapel Road, Isle of Grain, Rochester, ME3 0BZ
  Tuesday, 2 June – 10am to 1pm
• Hoo Library
  24 Church Street, Hoo, Rochester, ME3 9AL
  Tuesday, 2 June – 2pm to 5pm
• Chatham Dockside Outlet
  Maritime Way, Chatham, ME4 3ED
  Wednesday, 3 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Rochester Healthy Living Centre
  Delce Road, Rochester ME1 2EL
  Thursday, 4 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Balmoral Healthy Living Centre
  Balmoral Gardens, Gillingham ME7 4PN
  Thursday, 9 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Buzz Bingo Medway
  Medway Valley Leisure Park, Chariot Way, Rochester, ME2 2SS
  Thursday, 9 June - 6pm to 9pm
• Strood Library
  133 High St, Rochester, ME2 4TJ
  Wednesday, 10 June - 9.30am to 12.30pm
• Bread of Life community café
  17 Darnley Rd, Rochester, ME2 2EU
  Wednesday, 10 June - 2pm to 5pm
• Smoke Free Advice Centre
  2-2A Railway St, Chatham, ME4 4DQ
  Thursday, 11 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Booker Group
  5-9 Laker Road, Rochester, ME1 3QZ
  Friday, 12 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Rochester Community Hub
  Eastgate, Rochester, ME1 1EW
  Thursday, 16 June - 9.30am to 2.30pm
• Lordswood Healthy Living Centre
  Sultan Road, Chatham, ME5 8TJ
  Wednesday, 17 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Medway Park Sports Centre
  Mill Road, Gillingham, ME7 1HW
  Thursday, 18 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Smoke Free Advice Centre
  2-2A Railway Street, Chatham, ME4 4DQ
  Friday, 19 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• James Williams Healthy Living Centre
  Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham, ME4 4HP
  Wednesday, 24 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• The Historic Dockyard Chatham (Armed Forces Day)
  The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, ME4 4TZ
  Saturday, 27 June - 9.30am to 4.30pm
• Everlast Gym
  Will Adams Way, Watling Street, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 6BY
  Tuesday, 30 June - 9.30am to 3pm
  To find out more about Measure Your Pressure month, visit: Medway.gov.uk/MeasureYourPressure