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

It's ridiculous how much people expect from the NHS.

I'm in a European country with public/private health insurance model and I bought my own blood pressure monitor. And rented/bought numerous walking aids for use post-surgery. It's expected and perfectly normal that not everything is paid for.

However it is possible to have a routine surgery within a month of seeing the consultant, and a GP appointment without calling at 8am every day for two weeks, for which I'm grateful. Oh, and to go to A&E and be seen within 2-4 hours for a non-life threatening problem.

There is one you can go and use in my GP surgery. We have our own even though all fit and healthy as i grew up knowing it was something to measure regularly (my mum was a nurse and used to do all of us with her massive machine and stethoscope). After she retired she bought a digital one and i have had my own digital one since i was about 30.

Btw - my bp is also on the low side and that is also a good reason to monitor it - there is actually stroke risk.

Do you get free prescriptions op?

Our local surgery have some they lend out. But there is a waiting list. My friends on the list and is so far waiting 6 months, she genuinely can’t afford to buy one.
it’s quite a common problem.
the issue is, high blood pressure can be medicated quite easily and the cost to the nhs of not dealing with high blood pressure is going to be much higher than a few more machines to lend out

DH had to give BP readings at certain times for 4 days, there was no leeway and it was quite difficult if you are out, how are people expected to do this if they are at work in a factory or warehouse

Sorry! I see you didn't lie the tabs!

Make it hard for you to get HRT saves money. I remember seeing the reaction of a few GPs on Twitter after Davina McCalls second menopause programme. They were angry about the appointments it would take up and the money it would cost. And like a PP said what about those who work. And they know damn well your BP reading will be higher due to the stress of pissing about like this. Makes me really suspicious

I also didn't do well with the combined patch but now have the estrogen only patch and take progesterone at night. It has helped a lot with sleep. If the everol patch stuck well, I'd maybe try taking the progesterone separately

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-hormone-replacement-therapy-prescription-prepayment-certificate-hrt-ppc

It may be that your particular meds are not covered by it?

I was responding to the GP lent my mother a portable BP machine.

I'm pointing out that yes,they lend them out, but you have to wait. At my surgery apparently the wait is longer than 8 months. Not suitable for a quick BP reading you need every 6 months.

I'm immensely grateful that I bought one, I'm now on blood pressure medication and am booked in for an echocardiogram. It's £20, buy one.

What sort of patches are you using?

Mine stay put in the shower or the pool, worth asking about more reliable /sticky patches (or more appropriate prescribing with some spares - you should not be needing to pay for medicines you receive on prescription).

Not suggesting that's an acceptable wait at all, but an ambulatory monitor is a somewhat more specialist bit of kit than what the OP needs, so not entirely comparable.

@Stanleycupsarecool

Crossed posted but you said it much better than me

So go to a pharmacy. It’s only for 4 days. It’s annoying but your health is more important than your annoyance.

Or stump up £20.

And this is why the NHS is on its knees- if everyone didn't have this attitude about minor stuff it would free up so much money for more services.

Your attitude towards spending £20 to monitor your own health to ensure the medication you have been prescribed for a very reduced rate compared to other countries show exactly how the nhs is totally fucked.

I bet you go to get paracetamol prescribed as well.

You seem to have missed the second half of the sentence "one reading would be taken at the annual medication review."

The point is that an annual medication review covers more than just a BP reading. Its a review of changes, health etc with respect for that medication. The point of regular medical reviews was to reduce future load (and is precisely why insurance backed systems often include them - they save money over time).

Replacing them with three or four mundane self assessed questions and a self measured BP negates the point of the review and simply ticks a box. Just scrap annual reviews if that is what they are to be.

Incidentally any time I've had to supply BP its been absolutely that - one off reading at the surgery.

They used to give you a blood pressure monitor for a few days which gave regular readings until recently, Now it's all DIY and lesser, like everything else

There's a HRT prepayment certificate. https://www.gov.uk/get-a-ppc/hrt-ppc

You can go to surgery and get blood pressure taken in reception, the machine is there for everyone to use

or borrow a machine from friend or buy a machine

I was told in Nov last year i had to use a ambulatory blood pressure monitor for a day. The surgery will loan it out, it's on a waiting list. I'm still on that list.