Hypertension Case-Finding Service

The Hypertension Case-Finding Service was launched on 1st October 2021 as an Advanced Service. The service is predominantly about hypertension case finding in undiagnosed patients. However, where there is agreement between the GP practice and the community pharmacy, GPs can also refer patients with an existing diagnosis of hypertension to a community pharmacy of the patient’s choice.

In public-facing communications, the service is described as the NHS Blood Pressure Check Service.

The service was relaunched on 1st December 2023 to make better use of skill mix and increase provision of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (AMBP), and can now be provided by suitably trained and competent pharmacy staff (prior to this date only pharmacists and pharmacy technicians could provide the service).

Key Information

The Community Pharmacy England website (CPE) is the best place to look for all the up-to-date information on this service and for useful information and resources to support provision of this service, however, for ease of reference some of the key resources are listed below:

• Service Specification – Hypertension Case-Finding Advanced Service
• Service Specification Annex A – BP Check Process Flowchart
• Service Specification Annex B – Guidance on Clinic BP Check
• Service Specification Annex C – Clinic BP Flowchart
• Service Specification Annex D – AMPM Flowchart

Guidance & Resources

• CPE Briefing, Nov 23: Updated Guidance on the Hypertension Case-Finding Service
• CPE Checklist (New Providers) – Implementing the Hypertension Case-Finding Service
• CPE Checklist (Existing Providers) – Implementing Changes to the Hypertension Case-Finding Service
• CPE Briefing, Nov 23: Information for Pharmacy Teams

7 Steps to Ensure Accurate BP – Resource

These resources have been created in collaboration with some of the local LMCs in West Yorkshire. The documents can be used by all healthcare professionals involved in BP checks. A non LMC branded version is also available below.

7 Steps to Ensure an Accurate Blood Pressure

7 Steps to Ensure an Accurate Blood Pressure – YORLMC

7 Steps to Ensure an Accurate Blood Pressure – Kirklees LMC

7 Steps to Ensure an Accurate Blood Pressure – Leeds LMC

GP Resources

PCS – What GPs & Sexual Health Clinics Need to Know Poster

Record Keeping & Making Claims

All clinical records and payment claims for this service must be made using an NHS approved IT system. There is no manual option available for claiming service provisions (refer to the CPE website for information on IT systems and suppliers).

Data from the NHS assured IT system will be submitted to the MYS portal via an API and will pre- populate claim information within the MYS portal so that the contractor just needs to login to MYS at the start of every month to confirm that the information is correct before submitting the claim.

Claims for payment for should be made monthly, via the MYS portal and no later than three months from the claim period for the activity provided. Claims which relate to work completed more than three months after the claim period in question, will not be paid.

Providing the Service

Refer to the service specification for patient eligibility for the service.

Practices can also send referrals for BP checks for patients who have already been diagnosed with hypertension. Pharmacies should work with their practices to agree a local process by which this will work; there are no specific requirements set for this process.

Practices will also be able to refer patients requiring ABPM; in this scenario it is recommended that the referral is made electronically to the pharmacy.

Download a GP practice referral template here.

Blood Pressure Check Information Leaflet – English to Multiple Language Translation

The information leaflet to support the Hypertension Service is now available in several different languages and can be accessed via the links below.

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Arabic

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Bengali

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – English

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Farsi

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – French

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Gujarati

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Kurdish (Sorani)

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Latvian

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Lithuanian

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Pashto

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Polish

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Portuguese

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Punjabi

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Romanian

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Simplified Chinese (Mandarin)

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Slovak

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Spanish

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Russian

Hypertension Translation Leaflet – Urdu

Other Learning and Development Resources

VirtualOutcomes Training (free for all West Yorkshire pharmacy teams). This online training is only 15 minutes long and includes understanding about:

• What equipment and training is required.
• What protocols you need to agree locally.
• How the service works and what actions to take depending on the results.
• How the pharmacy can work collaboratively with GP and PCN colleagues.

CPPE also has a suite of resources for learning about hypertension.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Community Pharmacy England website is a great source of information and resources for pharmacy teams. This includes a useful Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers page which are updated on an ongoing basis:

Hypertension Case-Finding FAQs

Last Updated: 22nd April 2025