How To Check Your Blood Pressure
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring
The best way to monitor your blood pressure is with a home monitor. Blood pressure varies from day to day and throughout the day. This means that it is better to take the average of a series of home blood pressure readings than taking a single reading in the surgery.
We recommend home blood pressure monitoring for anyone who needs to regularly monitor their blood pressure. This includes anyone with a diagnosis of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Diabetes, Stroke or TIA, heart disease, and Chronic Kidney Disease.
You can buy a good monitor for around £25 from a pharmacy or online. Before you buy, check that your monitor is on the list of officially validated monitors. You can find this list at bihsoc.org/bp-monitors/for-home-use/.
Alternatively we have a limited amount of blood pressure monitors we can lend to patients. Please ask the reception team if you would like to borrow a machine for home readings.
Please note we ask for 5 days of blood pressure readings only. Scroll down for more information on how to submit your readings.
Self Check Automatic Blood Pressure Machine
We have an automatic blood pressure machine in the reception area at Cringleford Surgery. You can drop into the surgery at anytime during opening hours and use the machine. Instructions are provided and once the results are printed please hand these into the reception team.
Book An Appointment For A Blood Pressure Check
If you cannot use a home monitor or the automatic blood pressure machine, book an appointment with a Heathcare Assistant for a blood pressure check. You can find out how to book an appointment here.
How To Submit Blood Pressure Readings
If you have taken a single blood pressure measurement yourself
If you have access to a blood pressure monitor and we have asked you for a single blood pressure reading, for example for a Pill Check, please submit this information either:
- In person at reception
- Log onto our online consultation service PATCHS, select the option “Other” and submit your blood pressure reading
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Submission Form
You can submit your blood pressures electronically using the form below.
If you would prefer not to submit your blood pressure reading electronically you can download our blood pressure submission form here. Please fill this in and hand it in to our reception team.
Average Blood Pressure Electronic Submission Form
Read This First
Before taking your blood pressure, please read the official guidance on how to measure your blood pressure correctly at BIHSOC: Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Explained
Record your blood pressure for 5 days in a row. On each day, record your blood pressure in the morning and in the evening. Morning means between 06:00 and noon and Evening means between 18:00 and midnight. On each occasion take at least 2 readings, leaving at least a minute between each. If the first two readings are very different, take 2 or 3 further readings. For each occasion, when taking more than one blood pressure reading, enter the lowest of the top (systolic) and lowest of the bottom (diastolic) reading onto the form.
For example, if on the morning of day one, you take 3 blood pressure readings, enter the lowest of the top number and the lowest of the bottom number as the blood pressure reading for that measurement.
148/88
152/84
136/90
In the example above the blood pressure to enter would be:
136/84
You don’t need to record your heart rate more than once, unless you have been asked to.