BMI Healthcare Hospitals Offer Free Blood Pressure Checks and Advice During Know Your Numbers! Week (7-13 September)

LONDON -

- With Photo

- One in Three People Have High Blood Pressure; Over Five Million Don’t Know it

In support of Know Your Numbers! Week (7-13 September), the nation’s biggest blood pressure event, BMI Healthcare hospitals across the country will be offering free blood pressure checks and advice to the public.

BMI Intelligent Health assessment teams will be running the free ‘blood pressure stations’ in Aberdeen (The Albyn Hospital), Bath (Bath Hospital), Beckenham (The Sloane Hospital), Bedford (The Manor Hospital), (The Alexandra Hospital), Chertsey (Runneymede), Darlington (The Woodlands Hospital), Dundee (The Fernbrae Hospital), Edgbaston (Priory Hospital), Glasgow (Ross Hall Hospital), Goring By Sea (Goring Hall Hospital), Guildford (The Friary Centre), Harrow (The Clementine Churchill), Hendon (The Garden Hospital), Longfield (Fawkham Manor), Rochdale (The Highfield Hospital), Maidstone (The Somerfield Hospital), Milton Keynes (The Saxon Clinic), Winchester (Sarum Road Hospital) and Windsor (The Princess Margaret Hospital). For details about hospital addresses and station opening times, please see below or visit: www.bmihealthcare.co.uk

Organised by the UK charity the Blood Pressure Association, The Know Your Numbers! Campaign is designed to encourage Britons to monitor and maintain a healthy blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and strokes and can also cause kidney disease and eye problems. Today, although one in three people in the UK have high blood pressure[i], over five million people don’t know it[ii], which is why high blood pressure is now commonly known as ‘the silent killer’. Yet, once high blood pressure is diagnosed, it can be lowered by adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise or taking medicine as prescribed by a doctor.

“Many people don’t know what their blood pressure level is, but it is important to know this as it can vary from person to person. Patients should ensure they have their blood pressure checked by a registered health professional as they can provide useful health advice and tips on how to maintain a healthy pressure reading as well as send notes to your GP if needed,” says Professor Peter Taggart, health assessment doctor, BMI Healthcare. “High blood pressure affects so many people, and having a quick blood pressure check is the first step to reducing the risk of having a stroke or heart attack.”

Mike Rich, Executive Director of the Blood Pressure Association, said: “We are delighted BMI hospitals are taking part in Know your Numbers! Week 2009 to help provide free and convenient blood pressure checks.”

“For this year’s campaign theme, we’re asking ‘Could YOU be the 1 in 3?’ because a third of UK adults have high blood pressure, yet millions are unaware they have the condition. Having a blood pressure check during Know your Numbers! Week couldn’t be easier - it’s quick, free and painless, and could save your life.”

BMI Healthcare will also be encouraging people who have a free blood pressure check to ‘know all your numbers’ by offering them a 15% discount on all BMI Intelligent Health Assessments, which can be booked at a later date[iii]. People who get checked will also be automatically entered into a raffle to win a free BMI Select Intelligent Health assessment,[iv] which is a comprehensive series of tests designed to detect any early signs of disease, enabling earlier treatment and more effective disease management.

BMI Healthcare offers a range of health assessments giving you quality time with a specialist doctor or nurse to gain an understanding of your particular health risks and discuss any health concerns. Health assessments vary in price from GBP150-GBP650 depending on the type of screen chosen. For information about BMI’s Intelligent Health Services, visit www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/health-screening. For further information about Know your Numbers Week please visit www.bpassoc.org.uk

BMI Blood Pressure Stations locations, dates, and opening times are: City Location/Address Blood Pressure Contact Station Dates & Number Times Aberdeen Albyn Hospital 7 Sept +44(0)1224-595-993 (13:30-15:00) 21-24 Albyn Place, 8 & 10 Sept (12:00-14:00) Aberdeen, Grampian AB10 1RW Bath Bath Clinic 7 Sept (09:00-12:00 +44(01225-835-555 & 14:00-16:00) Claverton Down 8 Sept Road, Combe Down, (14:00-15:30) Bath, Somerset 11 Sept (10:00-12:00) BA2 7BR Bedford The Manor Hospital 7 and 9-11 Sept +44(0)1234-364-252 (14:00-17:00) Church End, Biddenham, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK40 4AW Beckenham The Sloane 8 Sept (09:30-12:30 +44(0)20-8466-4000 Hospital & 13:30-17:00) 125 Albemarle Road Beckenham, Kent BR3 5HS Cheadle The Alexandra 7,8,9,10 Sept +44(0)161-428-3656 Hospital (10:00-13:00 & 14:00-16:00) Mill Lane, 11 Sept Cheadle, Cheshire (10:00-13:00) SK8 2PX Chertsey The Runnymede 7 Sept +44(0)1932-877-800 Hospital (09:00-13:00) Guildford Road (at side of St Peters Hospital) Ottershaw, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0RQ Darlington Woodlands Hospital 7-11 Sept (09:00 +44(0)1325-341700 -17:00) Morton Park, Darlington, County Durham DL1 4PL Dundee Fernbrae Hospital 7, 9, 11 Sept +44(0)1382-631-400 (10:00 -12:00) 329 Perth Road 8 Sept (17:00-20:00) Dundee, Angus 10 Sept (14:00-16:00) DD2 1LJ Edgbaston Priory Dene 7-11 Sept +44(0)121-440-2323 Building - Health (10:00-13:00 & Screening 14:00-16:00) Priory Hospital Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UG Goring By Goring Hall 11 Sept +44(0)1903-506699 Sea Hospital (10:00-12:00 & 13:00-15:00) Bodiam Avenue, Goring By Sea, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 5AT Glasgow Ross Hall Hospital 8 Sept (08:00-13:00 +44(0)141-810-3151 & 13:20-20:00) 221 Crookston Road 9 & 11 Sept (08:00-11:00 & Glasgow, G52 3NQ 13:00-17:00) Guildford The Friary Centre 10 Sept +44(0)1483-570-122 (09:30-04:30) (Mount Guildford Alvernia Hospital) GU1 4YT Harrow The Clementine 7, 9, 10, 11 Sept +44(0)20-8872-3872 Churchill Hospital (10:00-12:00) Sudbury Hill 8 Sept (14:00-16:00) Harrow, Middx HA1 3RX Hendon The Garden 7-11 Sept +44(0)20-8457-4500 Hospital (14:00-16:00) 46-50 Sunny Gardens Road, Hendon, London NW4 1RP Longfield Fawkham Manor 7, 9 & 10 Sept +44(0)1474-879-900 Hospital (09:00-12:00 & 14:00-16:00) Manor Lane, Fawkham, 8 & 11 Sept (09:00-12:00 & Longfield, Kent 18:00-20:00) DA3 8ND Maidstone The Somerfield 10 &11 Sept +44(0)1622-208-000 Hospital (09:00-13:00) 63-77 London Road Maidstone, Kent ME16 0DU Milton The Saxon Clinic 7 Sept +44(0)1908-665-533 Keynes (08:30-14:00) Chadwick Drive, Saxon Street, 8 Sept Milton Keynes, (13:00-17:00) Buckinghamshire MK6 5LR Rochdale The Highfield 10 Sept +44(01706-655-121 Hospital (10:00-17:00) Manchester Road Rochdale, Lancashire OL11 4LZ Winchester Sarum Road 8 &10 Sept +44(0)1962-844555 Hospital (09:00-13:00) Sarum Road Winchester, Hampshire SO22 5HA Windsor Windsor Royal 11 Sept +44(0)1753-743-434 Shopping (12:00-16:00) (The Princess 5 Goswell Hill Margaret Hospital) Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1RH

About BMI Healthcare

BMI Healthcare is the UK’s largest independent healthcare provider with over 60 hospitals and clinics nationwide and performing more complex surgery than any other private healthcare provider in the country. Our commitment is to quality and value, providing facilities for advanced surgical procedures together with friendly, professional care. For more information about BMI Healthcare please visit, www.bmihealthcare.co.uk

About The Blood Pressure Association

The Blood Pressure Association is the UK’s leading blood pressure charity working to lower the nation’s blood pressure. The charity provides information and support for people with high blood pressure and raises awareness to prevent the condition. The charity won the healthcare category of The Charity Awards 2008 for its work on the Know your Numbers! campaign. For more information visit the charity’s main website at www.bpassoc.org.uk ———————————

[i] Know Your Numbers! Blood Pressure Association. Date accessed 040809 www.bpassoc.org.uk/microsites/kyn/Home/AboutKYN/Theneed

[ii] Know Your Numbers! Blood Pressure Association. Date accessed 040809 www.bpassoc.org.uk/microsites/kyn/Home/AboutKYN/Theneed

[iii] Terms and conditions: The discount is only available with the Essential, Select, Advanced and Advanced Plus health assessments. You must book your health assessment by 31/10/09.

[iv] BMI Select Health Assessment includes gender specific tests for female and male cancers and tests including an ECG, cardiovascular risk score and consultations with both a nurse and doctor. Please visit www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/bmi/health-screening/bmi-select ———————————

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA Photowire. It can be downloaded from www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or www.prnewswire.co.uk.

BMI Healthcare press contacts: Tara Jacquin - +44(0)208-232-5131 or Tara.jacquin@ghg.co.uk Linda Apeles - +44(0)207-009-4544 or Linda.Apeles@ghg.co.uk Blood Pressure Association press contact: Anna Cureton - +44(0)20-8772-4993 or acureton@sgul.ac.uk

Source: BMI Healthcare

BMI Healthcare press contacts: Tara Jacquin - +44(0)208-232-5131 or Tara.jacquin at ghg.co.uk; Linda Apeles - +44(0)207-009-4544 or Linda.Apeles at ghg.co.uk; Blood Pressure Association press contact: Anna Cureton - +44(0)20-8772-4993 or acureton at sgul.ac.uk