To think we shouldn’t have to buy our own blood pressure machines

Oh give over. Patients have never ever needed to buy blood pressure machines before. Readings have had to be taken for all sorts of things since for ever and NHS staff have normally done them.

Who takes responsibility if the readings are wrongly taken?

I do understand, what I am saying is that there are different kinds of blood pressure machines. The kind that my mother was lent, which is the kind that the OP needs, is not an ambulatory blood pressure machine, that you mention. Ambulatory ones are ones you wear all the time to give 24 hour readings. This is a more specialist piece of equipment than the kind the OP needs and therefore it makes sense that there are fewer of them and therefore some kind of wait, though I reiterate that I don't believe it is acceptable to wait 8 months regardless. As several other people on the thread have mentioned as well, it is perfectly normal for some surgeries to lend out regular blood pressure machines as needed, with no waiting list.

Hrt is free now....

The NHS should not have to buy your equipment - you find somewhere to have it done for free, some pharmacists or GPs have them in their waiting rooms or you spend 20 quid!! If the NHS had to buy every bit of kit anyone needed from thermometers to blood pressure machines they would be providing even less of a service than they are able too now!

Our surgery lends BP machines out. You have to pay a £10 deposit which is returned when the machine is handed back.

@TangoTarantella it’s because BP is affected by oestrogen levels, and you are taking that along with other hormones, so your BP needs checking at certain intervals. Mine is also checked every 6-12 months for that reason. My DD has to have hers checked for her ADHD meds every month, so I am just grateful I don’t have that palaver.

https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/news/news/blood-pressure-the-menopause-and-hrt-.html

The NHS don’t always want equipment back! My DP’s still have a walker, that my DF offered to return but they didn’t want. Plus a frame that went around the toilet. Refused return.
My DM bought her own BP machine which I borrow when needed. Because both of us (DH) now we are over 50 have had to do the week test.

Agree - often people buy machines and use the wrong size cuff , this makes reading in accurate. My local pharmacy also used he wrong size cuff on me, it was so painful , it made the reading wrong.
The most accurate way is with a manual spyg and stethoscope but nurses now days lack basis skills . The NHS and whole country is in a terrible state. We have not progressed but gone backwards.

This is unbelievable. It's surely protocol for doctors to check their patients when they put them on new drugs or change prescription. They would be even more negligent if they didn't. The fact that OP has had no BP problems in the past might not be relevant.

I have had a BP monitor for ages, they are dead easy to use. A nurse at our own surgery discovered that the public machine they had was very inaccurate, so having your own readings may well be much the best option.

Buy the damn thing and put it on Facebook local page if you must.

Sure - but if more frequent readings are required, suggesting you do it annually isn’t really an option. My husband takes his blood pressure himself at home because he’s needs to do it more frequently and honestly who has time to attend that many apts at the doctors anyway! If you want an apt annually to discuss symptoms make one and you get to attend for free. If you feel rushed and that you don’t get chance to explore request a double apt if it’s very complex. I fully agree with you that it’s very unfair to squeeze apts into ten mins and it often feels rushed, but currently that’s the system doctors are working under. Ten pounds is so cheap in the grand scheme of free at point of access healthcare.

I just don't see why 8 is needed for an HRT repeat prescription.
Presumably that's because you're not a GP?

Our gp surgery has one in the waiting room, but we've also got our own.

Personally I think its easier to have your own. My gp is around a 4 mile round trip so much easier to have one at home.

Also its best to take the readings when more relaxed. Get more accurate results.

Its not just women on hrt asked to provide readings, DH has been asked to as well , as has my young adult dc who has a health issue that needs monitoring.

We had to buy one as several family members need to submit monthly readings when requesting repeat prescriptions. The £20 or so saves us time - and the practice nurse or pharmacist leaving them free to help other patients - and I don’t have to traipse to the surgery every time either.

@Kinshipug

"Do you need to be measured and weighed by a DR? That's the kind of attitude that is crippling the NHS - unwilling to take even minor responsibility for their own health."

No, I'm not asking for these things. They've been done to me at every diabetic clinic appointment I've ever been to in the last 50 years.

I just don't see why 8 is needed for an HRT repeat prescription.

Blood pressure monitors aren't exactly expensive, and surely they are the sort of thing that everyone should have anyway, like having a thermometer and basic over the counter medication ?

Yabu. It's basic medical equipment. They're not expensive and will last for years. I have one (I'm 50 and healthy).

What do you think that should be? You have the option to go to the surgery (everyone I’ve been to has one in reception) / pharmacy or buy a machine.

For something which doesn’t require a medical professional to administer it what do you think should happen?

YANBU

I think some commenters here are being really harsh. The OP does not WANT her BP taken twice per day, for four days. It is the SURGERY who have requested this, with the threat of not issuing her repeat prescription if she does not do what they are demanding. The OP has no BP issues, she just wants her prescription that she's had for some time now without issue. The GP is being unreasonable expecting people to spend money and buy equipment that is needed for 4 days. The GP is also being unreasonable by threatening to withhold a repeat prescription over this when the BP has no history of high BP.

OP, people are being ridiculous on this thread. I get you. I sure as heck wouldn't be buying one either. I've learned from this thread that you can get it checked for free at a pharmacy though. If I were you, I'd get a reading done at a pharmacy once, then just submit that reading for all "8" readings that they want.

Not everything comes for free by the NHS . I've diabetes Type 2 and have had to buy my blood glucose monitor and test strips for years . It's never occurred to me to have a whinge about it !

This is not a new thing, I have been on BP medication and then HRT for quite some time and have had my own BP machine, if I go to the surgery by the time I have found somewhere to park, made it down the stairs to the surgery and then rushed about inside my BP is all over the place, going to the pharmacy wouldn't be any better. Instead, I have a routine where I take it weekly most of the time, same day, same time etc. and when appropriate I do it daily. I have never been asked to do it twice a day. I like to be in control and aware.

Overkill? It's hardly onerous. Why do you need a GP appointment for things you can do at home? Do you need to be measured and weighed by a DR? That's the kind of attitude that is crippling the NHS - unwilling to take even minor responsibility for their own health.

I've personally got better things to do than traipse to a pharmacy or gp daily rather than pay £20. It's handy to have one in case anyone in the household needs it anyway.