WHITCHURCH Rotary Club is again joining forces with healthcare professionals to deliver three hours of public blood pressure checks in the town centre.

In 2023, the free, no-appointment, ‘drop-in’ event performed a record total of more than 120 tests to flag up possible health problems and save lives.

The checks – to detect early warning signs of hypertension and hyperglycaemia – will be done by healthcare professionals at the bottom entrance to Bredwood Arcade, outside Tesco, between 9am and 12 noon on Saturday, July 20.

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Organiser Keith Senior says, as with the prostate testing also carried out by the club, the number of people going on to receive more support shows the value of the testing.

“Some of last year’s readings were alarmingly high,” he said

“And 17 people who had their blood pressure tested were advised to consult their doctor – some of them urgently.

It’s a simple thing to do but it can save lives.

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“More than 12 million people in England have high blood pressure and glucose levels which, along with obesity, are the major causes of premature deaths from strokes and heart attacks.

“It’s what many medics call a ‘Silent Killer’ – because there are no symptoms and people often aren’t even aware of being at risk.

“So, spending a few minutes on a simple but effective blood pressure test can become a matter of life and death.”