Blood Pressure Monitor Scheme Launches at the Guille-Allès Library
Blood pressure monitors are now available to borrow from the Guille-Allès Library.
To mark Heart Month in February, Guernsey Chest & Heart have partnered with the Library on a new scheme to help islanders to ‘know your numbers’ and keep track of their blood pressure at home.
Five new ‘blood pressure kits’ – which have been donated to the Library by Healthspan – include a monitor, a simple instruction leaflet, and advice on what to do if numbers are high.
They can be borrowed for free in the same way as books, and can be kept for up to three weeks.
Around one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. By offering monitors for loan, the Library and Guernsey Chest & Heart hope to make it easier for people to understand and protect their heart health, and to remove barriers for those who may not otherwise have easy access to this equipment.
Caroline Ogier, Centre Manager at Guernsey Chest & Heart, said:
“We want to encourage more people to check their blood pressure at home – as it could save their life. Millions of adults in the UK have undiagnosed high blood pressure, and don’t know they’re at risk. There are rarely any symptoms, so the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is through a blood pressure check – and we hope this scheme will make it easier than ever to do this yourself at home by borrowing a kit from the Library.
“Once people know their numbers, they’ll be better informed about whether they need to speak to a GP, and can start making healthy lifestyle changes.”
Being able to take the kits home also means that people can take blood pressure measurements over a few days, which can lead to more accurate results.
Caroline Ogier said:
“Having a blood pressure check in a clinic can be a stressful experience for some people, which can affect the readings. So checking it at home, when you’re more relaxed, can play an important role in detecting and managing high blood pressure.”
Similar blood pressure schemes are already running successfully in many libraries across the UK, including in Southampton, Devon, and Suffolk.
Jackie Burgess, the Library’s Community & Wellbeing Lead, said:
“Libraries are the perfect place to offer this kind of initiative because they’re at the heart of their communities, and they’re all about supporting wellbeing and providing access to information in all its forms. It’s quick and easy to borrow a blood pressure monitor – and you can even borrow a book at the same time. All you need is a Library card – if you don’t have one already, it only takes a few minutes to sign up for your free membership.”
The scheme has been made possible thanks to support from Healthspan, who donated the blood pressure kits to the Library.
Tristan Boscher, Healthspan’s CSR Coordinator, said:
“Healthspan is always looking for ways to support the local community, especially where health is concerned, and this scheme will enable people to self-monitor their blood pressure at home for early risk detection.”
