Call for States of Guernsey to fund blood pressure testing

A chest and heart charity offering free blood pressure tests has called on the States of Guernsey to fund a screening scheme in pharmacies.

Guernsey Chest and Heart said it would like to see the island emulate the testing system in England, where some pharmacies receive NHS funding to carry out the exams. The charity said it saw hundreds of islanders each year at its clinic but added it did not have the means to expand its services.

Manager Caroline Ogier said: “It would be wonderful if we could provide a similar service or identify funding as a charity to provide it, but unfortunately that’s not viable.”

The BBC has contacted the States for comment.

The charity estimates about 5,000 people in Guernsey were likely to be living with high blood pressure and could be unaware of it.

High blood pressure often carries no symptoms and it is one of the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to the NHS.

Ms Ogier said rising GP appointment costs in Guernsey had put many off from getting checked for the illness.

“We know there are many barriers to attending a GP and many can be financial, particularly if you feel well and you don’t know you have high blood pressure,” she said.

The charity offers free testing on appointment once every five years for those aged between 25-75 with no existing diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.

Ms Olgier said the offer of free testing helped incentivise people to come forward and seek further treatment.