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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this nurse was unprofessional?

383 replies

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 17:06

So I went for an appointment at my GP surgery to try and verify the accuracy of two home blood pressure monitors we have in our house. The two monitors give virtually identical readings to each other for everyone in our family - but for my sister one reads 10 - 15 points lower than the other on thr systolic number.

During the appointment, my sister attempted to explain the situation and that she wanted to compare both machines against a manual reading. The nurse immediately told her to "just bin" one of the machines without any attempt to even compare it

The nurse then proceeded to only check one of the machines (the one that reads lower). When the machine displayed a reading of 150/100, she then performed a "manual check" and literally immediately stated "yeah 150/100". Might be just me, but this rapid confirmation seems like the nurse was simply just re-stating the reading she had seen on the machines screen (literally told me her reading was the exact same number) rather than conducting a genuine, independent manual verification. Her pre-judgement of which machine was correct was evident from the beginning, as she refused to consider checking the second machine, despite my clear explanation of the discrepancy of both machines for me, but identical readings for the rest of the family

As a result, I was left in the exact same position I was in before the appointment. I actually suffer from anxiety and came back in tears at how sharp and unhelpful she had been, and because it seemed she had made her mind up there and then she was only checking one machine and that was the correct one (despite them giving the same readings for everyone else), i don't trust what she told me at all

OP posts:
ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:51

Shatteredallthetimelately · 19/06/2025 20:48

I've only skimmed through your replies OP not others...so apologies if already suggested.

I'm the same with having my blood pressure taken by a nurse/Dr in that the second the machine starts I can feel myself clamimg up.

Has your DSis's surgery got a blood pressure machine in the waiting room, the type you put your arm in and press the button, then off it goes.

If so could she take a test there in her own time and then sit and use her own machines after a few minutes or just take the printout reading home and see which of her machines is closest.

Another thing is if the batteries are a bit low the readings maybe incorrect.

Hey no, unfortunately not. Wish they did have one in the waiting room to use at that would have been perfect to test both against that without our disgusting behaviour (that some have said) of a nurse appointment we didnt even book ourselves

We did wonder if batteries could be the problem so put new batteries in both, but still the same problem. One machine (always the same one) constantly reading lower no matter if we use it first or last

OP posts:
Hankunamatata · 19/06/2025 20:51

Bin both machines. And buy a new one

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:48

steff13 · 19/06/2025 20:46

I suspect that they were both correct, and it didn't matter which one she checked, she would have gotten the same result.

Hey Steff, it would have mattered which she checked as we experimented at home with both. One consistently reads so much lower than the other, but only on my sister. Doesn't matter if we use the lower machine first, wait five minutes and then test with the higher machine or the opposite way round. The lower machine will always be lower

OP posts:
Shatteredallthetimelately · 19/06/2025 20:48

I've only skimmed through your replies OP not others...so apologies if already suggested.

I'm the same with having my blood pressure taken by a nurse/Dr in that the second the machine starts I can feel myself clamimg up.

Has your DSis's surgery got a blood pressure machine in the waiting room, the type you put your arm in and press the button, then off it goes.

If so could she take a test there in her own time and then sit and use her own machines after a few minutes or just take the printout reading home and see which of her machines is closest.

Another thing is if the batteries are a bit low the readings maybe incorrect.

TheIceBear · 19/06/2025 20:48

I suppose you have to go with the nurses reading and if you don’t trust that, get it checked elsewhere. Or buy a new machine if it needs to be done at home, I’m not sure what the alternative is really but if you buy a new one stick with it and don’t keep checking on the old ones . It is bizarre they are giving such different readings.

Impatient6227 · 19/06/2025 20:48

Also think it's absolutely ridiculous to take an appointment up for this.

OldMcDonaldHadABigMac · 19/06/2025 20:47

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 17:28

It was an appointment with one of the nurses they gave her, not with one of the GPs

Doesn't matter, it's an appt with a healthcare professional. Nurses aren't there to check your machines are working, send them back to where you bought them if you think there's an issue with them.

Impatient6227 · 19/06/2025 20:47

OP the machine doesn't know about whitecoat hypertension...Regardless of whether that's an issue or not, the BP that was taken manually and with one of your machines matched, so it's right. The BP might be on the high side only in the GP's surgery but the nurse has confirmed it's working OK. Bin the other one and keep your 7 day log with the machine she used.

Also, you mention you measured your arm but you should measure your sisters. You seem to be getting very confused about who's actually got the issue.

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:46

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:44

Okay - so the health anxiety is that her high blood pressure may be missed?

I think at this point you should trust the nurse - she's compared the machine to the more reliable manual check.

Do the daily readings and then your sister can discuss with the GP.

No haha, sister is already on BP medication. Also has one kidney which can cause BP to be higher. The fact one machine is reading high, we were trying to make sure via home monitoring its not actually as high as that machine is reading currently

OP posts:
steff13 · 19/06/2025 20:46

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:28

It just seemed she had made her mind up at the beginning when she chose which to check, and and made her mind up there and then which was correct

I suspect that they were both correct, and it didn't matter which one she checked, she would have gotten the same result.

Rosscameasdoody · 19/06/2025 20:46

OP take the batteries out of both machines and let them sit for about twenty minutes. Then put new batteries in each machine and do a reading on one person with both machines. My DH has his blood pressure monitored by the telehealth service via GP as he is in mild heart failure. This is what they advised us to do when readings were off. A normal reading should be somewhere under 120/80. Anything over, and definitely 150/100 is cause for concern and needs GP input.

steff13 · 19/06/2025 20:44

Lalalol · 19/06/2025 20:23

This is clearly the issue. Can’t believe it’s being discussed

I am completely mind-boggled that the conclusion was that the machines were bad and it wasn't an issue specific to the sister. It makes literally no sense.

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:44

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:41

Hey sorry, missed your comment. No. It's actually the one reading lower at home she checked. Thats why it would've been nice for the one reading higher to be checked also as would've known for certain

Edited

Okay - so the health anxiety is that her high blood pressure may be missed?

I think at this point you should trust the nurse - she's compared the machine to the more reliable manual check.

Do the daily readings and then your sister can discuss with the GP.

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:44

Concretejungle1 · 19/06/2025 20:43

Id prob go with the machine the nurse has told you to use esp as she then took the bp manually. Im really surprised they didn't just give you one ( and that they don’t just charge patients that don’t return them, that’s awful!)

I think they used to give them but they've had people not returning them

OP posts:
Concretejungle1 · 19/06/2025 20:43

Id prob go with the machine the nurse has told you to use esp as she then took the bp manually. Im really surprised they didn't just give you one ( and that they don’t just charge patients that don’t return them, that’s awful!)

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:41

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:39

OP - I'm going to say this as gently as possible.

I suspect - especially as you won't answer the question - that the machine that was tested and shown to be accurate is he machine that gives the higher reading at home.

I know your sister and you are going to be worried about that. It would be comforting to think that the other machine was the one to trust but the surgery test as proved otherwise.

Get your sister to crack on with the daily testing and she can get on the right meds as soon as possible.

Hey sorry, missed your comment. No. It's actually the one reading lower at home she checked. Thats why it would've been nice for the one reading higher to be checked also as would've known for certain

OP posts:
Mymanyellow · 19/06/2025 20:41

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:39

OP - I'm going to say this as gently as possible.

I suspect - especially as you won't answer the question - that the machine that was tested and shown to be accurate is he machine that gives the higher reading at home.

I know your sister and you are going to be worried about that. It would be comforting to think that the other machine was the one to trust but the surgery test as proved otherwise.

Get your sister to crack on with the daily testing and she can get on the right meds as soon as possible.

Oh that’s interesting I thought the exact opposite.

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:39

OP - I'm going to say this as gently as possible.

I suspect - especially as you won't answer the question - that the machine that was tested and shown to be accurate is he machine that gives the higher reading at home.

I know your sister and you are going to be worried about that. It would be comforting to think that the other machine was the one to trust but the surgery test as proved otherwise.

Get your sister to crack on with the daily testing and she can get on the right meds as soon as possible.

Rosscameasdoody · 19/06/2025 20:39

Auroraloves · 19/06/2025 20:19

Ok, and can you answer my previous question, what do you mean by a manual check? Was this an independent check using their devices?

A manual check is using a cuff, a manual balloon pump and a stethoscope.

Gwenhwyfar · 19/06/2025 20:34

Horserider5678 · 19/06/2025 18:40

Really? It’s not down to the practice to tell her which machine is correct! If every person with a blood pressure machine booked an appointment for just this there would be absolutely no appointments! GP generally give the patient a range to get concerned about and that’s when they should get it checked!

Some people with high blood pressure have to check it very often. If they didn't do it themselves with their own devices, it would be even MORE work for the NHS so it's probably more efficient to check the devices, as suggested by the GP.

Rosscameasdoody · 19/06/2025 20:34

Jabberwok · 19/06/2025 17:15

You weren't there and if your sister is anything like my sil it didn't happen that way.

why did she waste an appointment on something so trivial, did she test the machine home readings several times at different times of the day?

You think a blood pressure reading of 150/100 is trivial ?

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:34

ThisCoolOP · 19/06/2025 20:30

Thats thing thing can't say whether the low readings or the high readings at home match more with the nurses one as they are in totally different settings. Whitecoat is an issue in a medical setting, its not in a home setting so can't go it was high at the surgery so the high one at home must be correct

She's not asking you about the difference between the readings at home and the readings in the surgery.

You said one of your two machines always reads high for your sister at home, and one of your machines always reads normal for your sister at home.

Which of the two machines did the nurse test in the surgery?

DemonsandMosquitoes · 19/06/2025 20:32

Ridiculous.
Go to a pharmacy, have a BP check and use your machine which gives the closest reading to theirs. Stick to the same one machine. If either are way off or in any doubt buy a new one and bin the others. Take your BP for a week twice a day with the same machine and drop the readings in with your name on.
Can’t comment on the nurse’s attitude but the utter shit I’ve had to listen to today….
This is the tip of the iceberg folks. Out in 17 months thank the lord.
Practice nurse.

Birgitz · 19/06/2025 20:32

I don’t think you’re unreasonable at all
OP - people on here are very sanctimonious and I think you’ve been a good sport replying to them all. It is annoying and I hope you get it sorted soon

wordler · 19/06/2025 20:31

@ThisCoolOP

Which of your two machines did the nurse test? The one which gives your sister the high blood pressure reading or the one which gives your sister the normal blood pressure reading?