As part of a project to help people manage high blood pressure at home, NHS Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) received 7,500 blood pressure monitoring devices from NHS England in May 2021 leading to an appeal for secure storage space.
Following an appeal for help from NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG, The Broadway, Bradford has stepped in to provide a safe place to store and distribute the machines from at no cost to the NHS.
Ian Ward, general manager at The Broadway, said:
“At the Centre we’re really lucky to have a large amount of space that isn’t visible or accessible to the general public. The storage in the Centre’s basement isn’t always used to its full capacity so when we heard about the space issue that the CCG were facing, we stepped in without hesitation.
“Working with the NHS teams, we’ve supplied a storage area that can be accessed independently as and when needed. The team have their own keys, are fully insured and can work with The Broadway team to schedule future deliveries.”
Patients with high blood pressure are usually advised to purchase the machines by GPs. However, to help people at greatest risk, NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG have taken delivery of the devices to help people who would find it difficult to buy and use their own machines. It is hoped that once all the devices are in people’s homes the district will see a fall in people with poor health outcomes linked to pre-existing conditions and blood pressure. By proactively monitoring blood pressure at home, people can take greater control of their health and reduce their need to access health services.
Kath Helliwell, Senior Head of Strategy, Change and Delivery at NHS Bradford District and Craven CCG said: “When the machines were offered to the region we wanted to take them immediately as we knew it would benefit so many people with high blood pressure. However, space is an issue so we got to work on finding the machines a home until they were needed by patients. Our community spirit is really something to be admired – Ian and team have been brilliant and we’re so grateful to them for accommodating us.
“High blood pressure is one of the most common conditions in this country. More than one in four adults in the UK have it, and we estimate that over 50,000 people in Bradford have undiagnosed high blood pressure – that’s enough people to fill Valley Parade football ground twice over! Controlling blood pressure can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes, plus generally improve the outcome of a patient by supporting them to make better decisions whilst living with high blood pressure.”
The Broadway Bradford has more than 80 retail stores and over 20 eateries, plus an eight-screen boutique cinema.
