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

[TangoTarantella]

Had a text from the GP surgery this morning to say that to re-authorise my HRT prescription I need to provide daily blood pressure readings at 9am and 6pm for 4 consecutive days. I rang the surgery and asked how I was supposed to do this and they said I had to buy a blood pressure machine (as if it was the most normal thing in the world). I was gobsmacked. Am I unreasonable to think I shouldn’t have to pay for medical equipment that I don’t want? Has anyone else had this?

Yes, bought one for £18 on Amazon

The alternative is to have to go into the surgery twice a day, surely for the sake of £20 its a lot easier to get your own?

Yes I got one off Amazon.

My surgery has one in the waiting room that prints off results so you can in theory drop in and use it.

Yes got mine for about £20 at argos.

You can get a reading in most pharmacies and doctors surgeries. So yes YABU. If you have kids you should also have a good thermometer- no one moans about that.

Yep buy your own.

I had to provide results for a week and my GP kindly leant me one.. it was vile. Looked like it had been passed around a gang of mud wrestlers and smelled like they all smoked 40 a day.
Yuck

you can get you BP taken in all pharmacies.

Not exactly the same but I had to buy one for my son to get him used to having it done, otherwise they couldn’t measure if his medication was having ill effect. Wasn’t expensive, you can buy them in pharmacies as well. But pharmacies will also take your blood pressure if you don’t want to buy one, to be honest if blood pressure is something that you need to keep an eye on it’s worth investing in your own anyway.

YANBU

seem to pay more to get less service from the NHS these days, bloody Tories

I’d usually agree, but taking two appointments a day for something that’s easily remedied at home doesn’t really fit into this narrative. I’d be more annoyed missing a doctors appointment for an actual need for someone who couldn’t work around finding a solution for needing their BP checked.

As already pointed out to the OP, she doesn’t have to buy one, she could go to her local pharmacy and get her BP taken there.

Why should other people pay more into the system so she get a free BP monitor?

There’s nothing wrong with my blood pressure, it’s always been slightly on the low side if anything. I don’t see it as comparable to having a thermometer for kids, that’s useful for potentially urgent situations, this is routine testing.

The GP surgery isn’t open at those hours for 4 consecutive days so can’t be done there.

You could ask to go in and have your blood pressure taken if you don’t want to buy one - or ask to borrow one from a friend or family member? They are fairly common things to have these days.

Getting a monitor is probably a good idea anyway. Checking your blood pressure regularly provides useful information on your health and high blood pressure can creep up overtime with serious consequences.

I do see your point but the NHS is so underfunded and if the surgeries start funding BP monitors, money has to come out of another service or outlay.

But, if you can’t afford it you should tell them and they need to find a way round it.

If you prefer not to then there is usually a machine inside your GP - attend and use it.

It is necessary for them to be able issue your HRT.

Your choice.

Boots usually have one in their £10 Tuesday sale

Has there ever been a period of time when it was possible to book twice daily appointments at your doctor's surgery?

I hate the Tories and what they have done to the country as much as the next person, but I don't think you can pin this one on them!

@TangoTarantella BP monitors are cheap and useful to have around, so yes, I do have one. My GP only asks for a single 'recent' reading though. With no indication as to what recent actually means.

I don’t want a free BP monitor. I want the NHS to provide a proper service.

It's a good idea to have one and check occasionally as you get older. You'll probably get better, more consistent readings if you do it at home.

Try and find a local pharmacy that has one for customer use if you can not access the surgeries machine.

What does that entail in your mind a community nurse to attend your house twice a day?

If you speak to your surgery they will probably have one they can lend out.

Do you have a 'buy nothing share Everything ' group local to you on Facebook if you use it? Maybe someone there has one lying around that you could use. From an environmental pov it seems a shame everyone having to buy all this stuff!

You don't have to buy one. Most pharmacies do it for free, using exactly the same equipment.

The NHS is providing you a proper service.

It is checking your BP before it issues you a medication.

The most convenient way for you to do this is with your own BP machine but there are facilities available (for free) if you need them.

You would not need an appointment to check your own BP at the surgery. There is usually a machine in the waiting room or at a local pharmacy. If you were struggling due to mobility a HCA would be able to help.

You are moaning about being asked to do a very small thing to help yourself so that you can get something you want. I don't have a lot of time for that attitude.

You don't have to buy your own. There are plenty of places that have free machines. It's up to you if you'd prefer to trapse to a pharmacy or such every day or spend £20.
Unsure what it is you're expecting of your gp? You want to be allocated 8 appointments so you don't have to inconvenience yourself at all? That's what will kill the NHS once and for all.