How this PCN held a pharmacist-led event

Wandle PCN collaborated with the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) to launch a pharmacist-led initiative to tackle hypertension. The collaboration saw a group of pharmacists organise a hypertension event, targeting high-risk individuals who did not engage with primary care for health checks. CLCH senior clinical pharmacist Upriya Patel explains more.

One of the challenges of hypertension is its silent nature. Yet, for a condition that often goes unnoticed, it can cause significant complications, such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes. All of these health problems place a heavy financial burden on the NHS.

Wandle PCN, which spans five practices serving approximately 55,000 patients in Wandsworth, London, decided to hold an outreach event to raise awareness of hypertension and provide help to patients in managing the condition. We did this in September 2024 as part of the national Know Your Numbers campaign organised by the charity Blood Pressure UK.

The event was a collaboration between the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) and the PCN. It was a pharmacist-led initiative organised by the pharmacy team in primary care, including me as senior clinical pharmacist at CLCH and three ARRS pharmacists at the PCN. We were supported by others from both organisations, including the PCN clinical director.

Aims

The event’s main aim was to increase awareness of hypertension and spread the message about the importance of blood pressure monitoring. We also sought to educate patients on red-flag symptoms for cardiovascular health and how to manage them.

We were especially keen to reach high-risk individuals who had not accessed primary care services for health checks. So, the event targeted patients who had not had a blood pressure reading in the past five years. This addressed gaps in care for non-engaging individuals, ensuring early detection and prevention.

Patients were offered tailored advice to help them better understand and manage their condition. This included information on what the readings mean and what to do with them. We also provided guidance on diet and lifestyle changes, and proactive self-management strategies.

Where necessary, we signposted patients to the appropriate healthcare professionals. As a pharmacist-led initiative, we were keen to highlight the role of pharmacy teams in primary care.

Methods

Using the GP clinical system, the team identified patients across all PCN practices aged over 40 with no recorded blood pressure readings in the last five years. About 200 patients were invited via batch text messaging coordinated by the admin team.

The event was held in the waiting area of the GP practice with most space. On the day, the waiting area was arranged into booths with privacy screens and we used blood pressure machines from the GP practice.

Although pharmacist-led, collaboration was instrumental in the event’s success, with the practice team contributing by utilising the competencies of the individuals in the team.

For example, the admin team ran searches to identify patients and sent batch messages inviting them to the event and the healthcare professionals provided spare blood pressure machines. Pharmacists supported the event at staggered times to ensure no disruption to routine workflows, demonstrating teamwork and efficiency.

By taking this approach, existing resources were utilised effectively, which minimised additional costs.

Outcomes

The event lasted three hours and, within that time, 40 patients were seen and had their blood pressure measured. That is the equivalent of 10 hours of pharmacist appointments.

For normal appointments, patients are often seen first by a healthcare assistant before being booked in with a pharmacist, effectively doubling the number of appointments and time required. This event streamlined care by avoiding that.

Furthermore, the event eliminated the need for follow-ups to provide tailored advice to patients, which would have required another 15-minute appointment with the pharmacist. Instead, immediate advice and referrals were provided as needed.

Overall, the three-hour event potentially saved 30 hours of appointments for pharmacists and healthcare assistants combined.

At the event, 38% of attendees (15 patients) were identified with elevated blood pressure and referred for further care.

Feedback from attendees was extremely positive, with 100% of those who responded rating the service provided as five stars. Comments from patients included ‘very professional’, ‘very polite and explained things well’.

The event was a boost to the team too. Morale improved among the teams involved in organising and delivering the event. It showcased their skills and brought positive energy to the practice. And the morale boost was felt right across the PCN as a result of the event.

Future

The event successfully raised awareness about hypertension and educated patients on what blood pressure readings mean. The provision of personalised guidance and lifestyle advice was well-received, and we were pleased to have reached patients who wouldn’t usually attend GP practice.

There were challenges and limitations too, though. For example, we could only allocate three hours to the event due to clinics and other work. And patients were only reached via text, whereas some prefer phone calls or letters.

Nevertheless, the success of this initiative highlights the potential to reduce preventable diseases through patient education. So, we plan to hold similar outreach events to address broader health inequalities, meeting targets set by the PCN DES. We will explore additional pharmacy outreach events in 2025, focusing on early detection and community engagement.

In the future, we aim to develop similar community health initiatives. These are likely to include collaborating with hypertension hubs at local PCNs to optimise patient care. We’ll also coordinate events in line with QOF requirements to action these in a timely manner.

By maintaining a proactive and collaborative approach, these initiatives will continue to play a crucial role in improving patient outcomes and addressing health inequalities.