Blood Pressure Optimisation

The management of hypertension remains a key element of HI NENC’s CVD Prevention Programme. HI NENC, working in collaboration with NENC ICB, is delivering a ‘back to basics’ education programme to healthcare professionals working in and supporting primary care in the region.

 Overall Aim

The aim of the programme is to help prevent cardiovascular disease including heart attacks, strokes and cases of vascular dementia.

This includes a focus on case finding and optimising treatment for patients with hypertension to improve CVD outcomes.

Delivery in the North East and North Cumbria

Hypertension is a major risk factor leading to CVD events, and there is evidence that there are high levels of under diagnosis and sub optimal treatment.

HI NENC will support Primary Care Networks( PCNs) to identify underdiagnosed hypertension, ensuring patient treatment is optimised to NICE recommendations in order to reduce the number of CVD events.

Past blood pressure optimisation programmes

National blood pressure optimisation programme 2022/23

HI NENC supported Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to implement the UCLPartners Proactive Care Framework for hypertension, to optimise clinical care and self-management of people with hypertension. Key activities included:

• Detection of people with hypertension through case finding interventions (including practice case finding through patient record searches, and models that involve community pharmacists as part of the hypertension community pharmacy scheme)
• Where people with hypertension had been identified:
• • Risk stratification to prioritise those who need to be seen by their GP sooner;
  • Use of the wider healthcare workforce to support remote care and self-care;
  • Adaptation of framework pathways for local implementation;
  • Providing support to people to maximise the benefits of remote monitoring and virtual consultations where appropriate.

A key priority of the programme was to reduce health inequalities. HI NENC worked with system partners, including the new Integrated Care System (ICS) to ensure that activities were focused on areas of higher deprivation and groups of people who are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. For more information about this work see our local Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme.

Resources