Worried about your blood pressure? Head to your local Devon library!

People visiting their local library in North Devon and Torridge can now borrow a blood pressure monitor at the same time as a book thanks to a new service which has launched today (Monday September 8).

The ‘One Devon’ initiative, led by Devon County Council Public Health, Libraries Unlimited and NHS Devon ICB, has been launched as part of the local Check Your Blood Pressure campaign to mark Know Your Numbers! Week.

More than 50 libraries in Devon now have blood pressure kits which can be borrowed for up to three weeks. The kits include a monitor, a simple instruction leaflet, a blood pressure diary to record the readings, and advice on what to do if numbers are high.

In this region, library users can borrow monitors from libraries in Appledore, Barnstaple, Lynton, Bideford, Braunton, Chulmleigh, South Molton, Combe Martin, Torrington, Holsworthy and Ilfracombe.

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The aim is to encourage more people to regularly check their blood pressure at home - and submit their reading to their local surgery - as it could save their life. It also saves time for patients and clinicians, freeing up valuable GP appointments.

Devon GP Dr Kay Brennan, strategic clinical advisor in long term conditions for NHS Devon, said: “One in three adults in the UK have raised blood pressure but many don’t realise it.

“In Devon nine per cent of adults may have undiagnosed high blood pressure. But the good news is there are small everyday choices that we can make to help bring it down.

“The only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is through a blood pressure check. Getting this done is easy and can improve the quality of your life. Your local pharmacy can check your blood pressure, or you can check it yourself at home with an easy-to-use monitor.

“High blood pressure can develop due to a variety of factors. Eating patterns that are high in salt or saturated fats, or low in potassium, may contribute. Other influences can include weight, alcohol use, smoking, stress, and lower levels of physical activity.

“Everyone’s situation is different and understanding these factors can help support better blood pressure management.”

Iain Harris, aged 54, used his local library’s blood pressure monitor as part of an earlier Devon pilot scheme and is glad he did, saying the new service will be a great benefit to users.

He said: “I have no doubt they will reveal important hidden health issues for many people and will hopefully prompt healthy changes for those that can, and potentially life-saving medication for those that need it.

“I’d been under some stress, so I decided to use the library blood pressure monitor. The good news was it was very easy to use. The bad news was the reading, 192/100, was extremely high.

“It was upsetting but it was the nudge I needed to make changes. I made appointments at my health centre, and they sent me a chart to monitor my blood pressure so that I could seek further advice and consider medication if it remained high. As soon as I adopted lifestyle changes it came down drastically.

“It was the wake up call I needed. I would have carried on my habitual ways and not taken steps to improve my health without it.”

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Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Devon County Council’s cabinet member responsible for public health, communities and libraries, said: “High blood pressure is extremely serious but many either don’t know they have it or have the means to check it.

“It’s vitally important to know what your readings are – it means that you can start making healthy lifestyle changes or start taking medicines if you need them to bring your blood pressure down to a healthy level.

“And that’s why we’ve launched the scheme to make it easier for people to check.”

More information about the Check Your Blood Pressure campaign can be found at https://onedevon.org.uk/check-your-blood-pressure