Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second most common cause of premature death in England affecting seven million people. High blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is the single biggest risk factor for CVD (Global Burden of Disease Report, 2017) and there are an estimated 5.6 million people with undiagnosed hypertension across the country (Public Health England).
The NHS Long Term Plan aims to reduce CVD mortality and morbidity, tackle inequalities and deliver a genuine shift towards prevention. This pilot provides an opportunity for NHS dentists in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West to case find people with risk factors for CVD on an opportunistic basis within patients visiting their surgeries.
The pilot aims to:
- Implement an NHS dental practice model that can case find people over the age of 40, with high BP (who have previously not had a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension).
- Promote healthy behaviours to patients with brief lifestyle interventions and signposting to self-management resources.
- If the BP is found to be elevated the dental practice refer in line with the local guidance provided within the Standard operating procedure.
Please find useful information and training materials to support the pilot:
- The Standard Operating Procedure for the programme
- A poster to display in the practice
- A patient information leaflet
- Information based on the slides and transcript from the training webinar explaining the background and giving details about the pilot
- A video showing how to take a blood pressure reading and the actions to take depending on the result
- Slides to highlight the referral pathway