North Yorkshire Council is offering free blood pressure checks across the county, after estimates drawn from 2024 figures suggest more than 50,000 adults locally are living with high blood pressure unaware.
This year’s push ties in with Blood Pressure UK’s national Know Your Numbers Week, running Monday 7 to Sunday 13 September, with local partners joining forces to raise awareness and widen access to checks. Additional testing is being laid on at Active North Yorkshire’s leisure and wellbeing hubs across that same week, bar the Selby site, which is instead running its own scheme through a separate community champions initiative.
Libraries across the county will also lend out blood pressure monitors year-round, free to any member, with sign-up free and straightforward for anyone not already registered. Checks are also available at community pharmacies and at a self-service health kiosk in Whitby Community Hospital’s urgent treatment centre reception, open 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
The silent killer
Cllr Michael Harrison, whose brief covers health and adult services, said: “High blood pressure is known as the ‘silent killer’ – no symptoms, just risk. It can lead to heart attacks and strokes. It can also cause kidney disease, dementia and other illnesses.
“However, these tragedies can be prevented through awareness of high blood pressure, blood pressure checks and management. I would encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of these free and life-saving convenient blood pressure checks. It only takes a few minutes and could make a significant difference to your health and wellbeing.”
Alison Marshall, from Selby, knows the risk personally. Six years ago, while pregnant with her daughter, she was rushed in for an emergency caesarean after a dangerous pregnancy complication tied to raised blood pressure late in the third trimester. Her readings settled back down afterwards, and she spent the following months getting fitter and losing weight — yet a routine GP visit later flagged that her blood pressure had crept back up again, entirely without her noticing anything was wrong.
Given her role as community projects lead for the Sherburn and Villages Community Trust, she’d already been keen to help bring in community blood pressure testing, and decided to try one herself at the Trust’s Cuppa Connect sessions — the result came back extremely high. That result sent her back to her GP, where further checks showed her existing medication wasn’t doing its job; new treatment and months of monitoring later, her blood pressure is now well managed.
Healthier habits
Mrs Marshall said: “High blood pressure often has no obvious symptoms and can affect anyone, regardless of age or lifestyle. Inspired by the support and information I have received through local health initiatives, I have adopted healthier habits, including increasing my daily activity, reducing salt intake and switching to decaffeinated drinks.
“I am now a passionate advocate for community blood pressure checks and encourage others to take advantage of the free, accessible services available through Sherburn and Villages Community Trust, including checks offered at Cuppa Connect sessions and during Know Your Numbers Week events.”
