A Dudley engineer has thanked the NHS after a random blood pressure check at work led to him having treatment at Russells Hall Hospital.
Phil Watkins, 59, along with colleagues at Petford Group, was invited to have a free blood pressure check as part of a Healthy Hearts Hub initiative by Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust.
The father of two, who is a toolmaker at Petford, had blood pressure of 220/146 – which is significantly high – and was sent to hospital for treatment.
Phil said: “I would urge anyone to get checked out. I didn’t think I needed to but the doctor said I was a ‘ticking time bomb’ so I’m glad I did.”
When health and wellbeing coaches recorded Phil’s blood pressure, they asked him to urgently contact his GP, who sent him to hospital.
Doctors gave Phil medication and monitored him at Russells Hall Hospital for around eight hours as his blood pressure came down.
Phil said: “They asked me if my vision was normal when I arrived and I said it was, but as the medication began to work, I realised I was starting to see things more clearly. My eyesight had deteriorated but I hadn’t noticed.”
High blood pressure puts extra strain on blood vessels, the heart and other organs such as the brain, kidneys and eyes. Persistently high blood pressure can increase risks of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
Since being in hospital Phil has made healthy lifestyle changes, including cutting out alcohol and reducing salt in his diet. He has been given further medications and will have follow-up appointments with his GP to monitor his blood pressure.
Phil was one of 30 employees who were seen as the Healthy Heart Hubs visited Petford. During the visit, a team of health and wellbeing coaches completed blood pressure readings, finger-prick blood tests and offered general healthy eating and lifestyle advice.
Dr Lloyd Baron, Clinical Lead for Health Inequalities at Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust, said: “Phil’s experience is exactly why we created our Healthy Hearts Hubs. I’m glad he saw our team, got checked out and was able to get treatment. It’s also fantastic he’s now taking such a positive approach to his own health going forward.
“People can experience high blood pressure without realising it. We want to help people in Dudley identify issues like this and get help if they need it. We are especially keen to see those who don’t normally seek help, so I would encourage as many people as possible to come to an event or request a visit like Petford did.
“Since we started the Healthy Hearts Hubs we’ve seen more than 500 people. It only takes a few minutes, but it can make a huge difference.”
Dr Sunil Nadar, Cardiologist from The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said: “High blood pressure rarely has any symptoms which is why it is called the ‘silent killer’. It can significantly raise your risk of a life-threatening heart attack, heart failure, or stroke, and the only way to know you have the condition is to get your blood pressure measured.
“High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily (especially reducing salt in the diet), maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation and not smoking. Some people with high blood pressure will also need to take one or more medicines to stop their blood pressure getting too high – what works best is different for each person.
“Checking your blood pressure is quick, simple and painless, and it could save your life. Selected community pharmacies across the Black Country offer a free blood pressure check service for people aged 40 and over with no previous history of high blood pressure.
You can watch a video about Phil’s story on YouTube.
