• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Have you been asked to buy your own Blood Pressure Monitor?

xendistar

Well-Known Member
I received a letter this morning stating that my Annual Review is now due (have a 3 months review booked for the 13th Jan). But in the letter I have been advised to purchased my own blood pressure monitor and bring along 1 weeks resutls. Well that not going to happen on the 13th, but has anybody been asked to do this?
 
No, not been asked, but I have one as I have white coat syndrome and it’s easier to supply my own readings to the surgery
 
I have never been asked to take mine into the surgery but I have for a long time recorded my BP at home on my own machine, as I get white coat syndrome (my BP shoots up when any medical professional approaches me with a BP machine!). I take a weeks worth of recordings before any review and my GP accepts an average of those readings.
 
Here in the UK, bp monitors are sometimes given out to patients for a few days at a time, so they can test their own bp at home, and give the results to the surgery. The bp monitor is then returned to the surgery.

I would imagine that this is happening far less often due to covid and the increased hygiene measures required for medical equipment.

a few years ago, I was offered a bp machine so I could test for a few days, but I would have to wait weeks for one to become free. Instead, I opted to buy my own (under £40 from Amazon, same brand as used by my doc), and it has proved to be useful to have one conveniently available ever since.
 
There was a previous thread where the poster had been asked to buy a blood pressure machine. My opinion is if it's essential equipment the nhs should provide it, if it's not essential equipment you should not be pressured into buying it.

It's a bit like a bg test kit, if your blood pressure is high or borderline its probably better to know what's happening day to day.

Personally, I have access to a bp machine, but never use it as I get much lower results when measured in clinic (yes the machine is calibrated well, I'm just calmer and produce better results in hospital rather than at home ).
 
No but I have one anyway (Omiron) or you can get your BP done in a pharmacy on request.
 
Yes. My blood pressure was high when I got diagnosed. I think the doctor didn’t address it then because I was reluctant to take medication so ranked the problems in terms of what needed addressed first and blood sugar came out top. Anyway he sent me a nice form to fill out with 2 morning and 2 evening readings and somewhere to calculate the average over a week. He got me to do it around this time of year I think because blood pressure varies with the seasons due to the temperature. My blood pressure is not too bad now. I’d prefer a bit lower but realistically I need to loose more weight and do more exercise for that. Blood pressure is a big risk factor for cardiovascular disease so it’s important to keep an eye on it. Measurements can vary quite a lot so you need to monitor over a week to know where you stand
 
I should clarify that I wasn’t directly asked to buy the machine but the alternative would have been to go to the surgery twice a day and use the machine there
 
I was asked to home monitor, bring two weeks of morning measurements to my appointments,
 
Thanks all the replies, I am in the UK and it is not the cost of a monitor that has annoyed me about this. As per usual the doctors surgery has messed up the the appointments again having asked me to book a 3 month review (I can not remember the date of my last review which was in early 2020 so not exactly 3 month review) back at the start of December (which is now booked 13th Jan) only then for the doctors surgery to send out a letter telling me my annual review is due and that I have to supply a weeks worth of my own blood pressure readings taken on my own monitor, but I also have to complete several online forms to fill in prior to my (to be arranged) appointment date.

Since being diagnosed with type 2 the Doctors Surgery has failed to arrange my reviews and appointments correctly meaning I end up with appointments request overlapping or so far apart they become irrelevant like the one on the 13th). Saying that I have to purchase my own BPM and record my own readings just add to the insults. Unfortunately I don't do a good job of looking after myself (diet and lack of exercise) so it is difficult for me to argue back but I believe more support from the surgery would help.

I will be ordering a BPM and then wasting my lunch break Monday calling the surgery (assuming I can get through) to complain and rearrange things after another one of their **** ups.
 
I was asked if I had a home BP monitor. The nurse said it was a good idea to get one.
The thing is though that I have never had high BP and was under 24 BMI and had an HbA1C of 44 at the time (it's 37 now).
So why on earth would I buy a BP monitor?
 
When diabetic they like the BP to be well controlled.

They find that 50% or more sufer white coat syndrome giving higher BP readings

So they like tests done using home meters as this is a better representation of your true bp. The ask me to test for 7 days 2 morning tests and 2 evening then they take the average of all readings

Its only worth getting a monitor if you care about your bp.. apparently raised bp along with diabetes add increased risk of kidney damage
 
I have white coat syndrome so I bought one for home use that I keep readings for and take with me for reviews. Pretty cheap as I recall from Boots (other retailers are available....)
 
I get white coat syndrome and readings are always very high at docs so it was suggested that I buy my own and take my own readings which suits me also, as I have very good readings when in my own relaxed environment - my readings are like night and day compared to at docs. I purchased mine from Lloyds chemist for around £20. I usually take around half a dozen readings at different times of the day the week before I attend the surgery and the DN puts down the average of them. The last time I just gave her them over the phone (September 2020) . My mum however borrows the surgery's one for a week prior to her appointment and notes down the readings or I think they are stored in the machine - this was prior to March so I don't know if this is still happening. I however prefer my own at home - I have suggested she gets her own but she prefers to borrow the surgery's which I have to collect for her. So each to their own ...
 
I was lucky my doctor at the time received about 10 machines from a company so he gave me one to use at home to test my BSL I must admit I used to test all the time but don't anymore
 
I just got advised to buy one yesterday. For the first time ever I had a high BP reading at the docs. I don’t think I have white coat syndrome. They said usually they would send me home with one but can’t due to infection control at the moment.

Since I’ve mentioned feeling like my pulse is racing more than once this week I opted to get one & it’s arriving today.

It’s really useful to know you need an average of readings because I’d have worried if the first one was high.

When is the best time to test? I was thinking first thing in the morning & early evening?
 
I've got one I never use as the readings are always high on the automatic machines (no matter who takes it) but on an old fashioned sphigmometer & stethoscope it's spot on, so it's on my GP notes to do it that way
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…