Community blood pressure detection in south east London

Background  

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a significant problem that, when undiagnosed or uncontrolled, increases the risk of adverse outcomes such as heart attacks and strokes. In south east London, residents from the global majority have reported that a lack of trust in, and access to, healthcare services impacts on both detection and management of high blood pressure in their communities. A community-based approach to detection and education was seen as a more trusted and effective alternative.

Project overview

In collaboration with Clinical Effectiveness South East London (CESEL), King’s Health Partners (KHP) and the South London Cardiovascular Operational Delivery Network (ODN), the Community Blood Pressure Detection project builds on two years of consultation and co-design work with Mabadiliko, to implement a community blood pressure screening tool.

The tool supports local, collaborative projects focused on people at greatest risk from high blood pressure. It brings together community groups with an interest in tackling health inequalities and primary care teams delivering blood pressure checks to co-host community events. These events aim to raise awareness and understanding of blood pressure, support early detection, and promote prevention among underserved groups at higher risk of poor hypertension outcomes.

Community blood pressure education and detection events will begin across south east London in September 2025 and run through to April 2026.

Project outputs

• Access the Community Blood Pressure Screening Tool. It remains a freely available resource to utilise, with further information also available via the launch webinar.
• Learnings from the events will be captured throughout the delivery phase to inform continuous improvement, and an evaluation will be shared at project conclusion in July 2026.