Our work

Lowering the UK's blood pressure for life is an ambitious goal, but that won’t stop us achieving it.

Since 2001 we’ve broken world records, helped to find the millions of people in the UK who don’t know they have it, and provide information and support to bring it under control for life.

Our services and campaigns 

Our helpline
Our helpline offers free, informative and impartial information and support from our specialist hypertension nurse. Whether your enquiry is about yourself or someone you care about, and whatever your question, we're here to help you understand and look after your blood pressure.

For example, we can help you to understand:

• What do my blood pressure numbers mean?
• What is my risk of having a stroke or heart attack?
• Can I change my diet to lower my blood pressure?
• What are the side effects of my medication?
• When, where and how can I check my blood pressure?

Email help@bloodpressureuk.org

Write to us at: Blood Pressure UK Helpline, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ.

The helpline is managed on a part time basis. If you think you may be having a stroke or heart attack - call 999 immediately. 

Our resources
It can be overwhelming to find out you have high blood pressure, and we’re here to support you with our booklets, factsheets, newsletters and magazines, written by our team of health professionals and health writers.

Our campaigns
We’ve reached over 1.5 million people with a free blood pressure check with our annual Know Your Numbers! Week campaign, the nation’s biggest blood pressure-testing event. 

Blood Pressure UK Membership
Over 90% of our members say that being a member of Blood Pressure UK helps them to manage and lower their blood pressure. It costs just £2.00 a month to receive our E-Positive Pressure newsletter four times a year, and a range of other benefits, all while supporting our life-saving work.

How we help

We’re helping to make a difference by:

• preventing the loss of a loved one by helping to prevent high blood pressure and find those who have it and don’t know it
• stopping unnecessary strokes and heart attacks, early death and disability by helping people to control and lower their blood pressure
• helping those with high blood pressure to feel more confident, knowledgeable and in control
• improving awareness among people who are more likely to develop high blood pressure, including people from African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds and the over 50s, through community initiatives and the media
• improving the relationship between patients and health professionals, encouraging open discussion around treatments and medicines

How we are doing

The numbers
See how we’re taking on high blood pressure in numbers.

• 1 million – we sent out more than a million booklets and factsheets in the last five years
• 2000 – we have over 2,000 members
• 5000 – we reach more than 5,000 health professionals with resources for their patients
• 1 million – we receive more than a million visits to our website every year
• 40 – we produce more than 40 different publications on all aspects of managing high blood pressure
• 5 million – we’ve given free blood pressure checks to over 1.5 million people during our annual Know your Numbers!® Week, reaching thousands every year and working with hundreds of health professional volunteers And we won’t stop here. We want to help even more people to lower their blood pressure for life. 

Awards and accolades
Take a look at some of the ways our achievements have been recognised over the years.

• 2010 Guinness World Record for the most blood pressures taken in a day. The Blood Pressure Association and Caer Health Services took 2,331 blood pressures.
• Awarded The Information Standardin 2009. We were one of the first UK charities to qualify for this kitemark of good quality health information.
• Winner of The Charity Awards 2008, in the healthcare category, for our highly regarded Know Your Numbers! campaign that provides free blood pressure tests to thousands of adults every year.
• Commended at the Third Sector Awards in 2006 for our interactive lifestyle quiz
• Shown to be an example of good practice when assessed by the Charity Commission in 2005
• Highly commended for two information booklets at the British Medical Association Patient Information Awards (2001 and 2003).

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