Hypertension case-finding service
Hypertension case-finding service has been commissioned as an Advanced service from 1st October 2021.
The service specification and other details; additional information, guidance and support materials are available here CPE information hub.
Download the service specification
Service Directions & Determination
The Secretary of State Directions provide the legal basis for the provision of the service.
CPE Briefing 041/21: Guidance on the Community Pharmacy Hypertension Case-Finding Advanced Service
This CPE Briefing provides additional guidance for community pharmacy contractors and their teams on the service.
The service will have two stages – the first is identifying people at risk of hypertension and offering them blood pressure monitoring (a ‘clinic check’).
The second stage, where clinically indicated, is offering 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). The blood pressure test results will then be shared with the patient’s GP to inform a potential diagnosis of hypertension.
Service fees from 1st April 2025
Clinic Check fee: £10 per consultation (previously £15)
ABPM fee: £50.85 (previously £45)
Contractors must notify NHSE&I that they intend to provide the service by completion of an electronic registration through the NHS Business Services Authority’s (NHSBSA) application. Further information is available.
The pathway has been developed as a guide for using AccuRx messaging in a targeted approach and can be adapted locally as required. It has been designed to enable a collaborative approach between GP surgeries and Community Pharmacies, targeting specific patient cohorts to increase detection rate. This pathway may facilitate workstreams such as Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) and Impact and Investment Fund (IIF) indicators including tackling neighbourhood health inequalities outlined in the Directed Enhanced Service.
There are pilot sites in Surrey and Sussex with the ambition to rollout across Sussex and Surrey Heartlands offering viable options to aid capacity in GP practice by reducing some demand on nursing and health care assistant appointments.
How to guide- Implementing the Accurx Pathway in a GP practice or PCN.
The LPC and NHS Sussex created a document for GPs and PCNs to use which supports the implementation of the AccuRx pathway. This how to guide provides guidance on suggested text message content, using AccuRx to send batches, cohort searches, the pathway diagram and more.
Please view “How to implement the AccuRx Pathway“.
The Pharmaceutical Journal published the Community Pharmacy Surrey and Sussex AccuRx Pathway
We are proud to announce that The Pharmaceutical Journal has published the AccuRx pathway, this article outlines the pathway, outcomes of the pilot, the importance of working collaboratively and how using digital tools can support the identification of undiagnosed hypertension.
Please read the published article here:
Download PDF here.
Please contact LPC@commmunitypharmacyss.co.uk if you would like to know more or are a GP practice interested in implementing the pathway.
Community Pharmacy Surrey & Sussex and NHS Sussex have been shortlisted as a finalist at the HSJ Digital awards. For more information click here.
Hypertensive case finding webinar 13th November 2024
This training webinar was designed to support colleagues to fully embed the hypertensive case finding service, explore opportunities to increase service delivery presented by our guest Speakers Alison Warren (Consultant Pharmacist Cardiology FRPharmS, FFRPS, BPharm, DipClinPharm, MSc, PharmIP. University Hospitals Sussex (Brighton) and Sussex Integrated Care Board)and Mike Okorie (Consultant Physician and Associate Medical Director for Medicines Safety & Prescribing; Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Head, Department of Medical Education, BSMS; RCP Regional Specialty Adviser for Clinical Pharmacology in Kent, Surrey & Sussex)
The aim of this webinar is to support pharmacy colleagues to deliver the NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check service and will include:
- Why identifying and managing hypertension is key CVD prevention priority
- Measuring the blood pressure – clinic, ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring
- Opportunities of the community pharmacy hypertension case finding programme
- How are we doing in Sussex and how can you help?
- Q&A
Please see supporting document ‘Recording ABPM Info and Fitting ‘ here.
Patients can find a pharmacy to have their blood pressure taken here.
