Home Blood Pressure Monitoring

Our GPs may ask you to record your blood pressure (BP) at home, either to aid with diagnosis, or as part of longer term monitoring.

Should you be asked to monitor your blood pressure at home, please follow these instructions, and complete and return the montioring chart which available to download at the bottom of this page.

• Always use the same arm for readings. Ideally use the same arm as for BP measurements the in the Surgery or clinic.
• Rest for 5 minutes before taking BP reading.
• Sit when taking BP reading, in a quiet place, with your arm resting on a firm surface and feet flat on the floor.
• Support your arm so that the BP monitor cuff is at the same level as your heart.
• Keep still and silent when a reading is being taken.
• Take 2 readings, each about 2 minutes apart, and then work out the average.
• Record the reading accurately by writing it down on the home monitoring sheet provided.
• Unexpected one off high readings can occur. If this happens, measure your BP again at another time.
• If your BP is consistently higher than your target level, return to your practice Nurse/Doctor.
• Don't smoke, drink caffeinated beverages or exercise within 30 minutes before measuring your blood pressure. 
• Empty your bladder before measurements.
• Don't take the measurement over clothes.

To aid diagnosis you should monitor your BP for at least 1 week with measurement both in the morning and the evening. Disregard your first day’s readings as this may be inaccurate because of anxiety.

If long term monitoring, take a reading every 2-3 days or so for one week every month, once BP is stable. Take the readings at the same time every day.

The British Heart Foundation has some excellent informtion regarding home blood pressure monitoring, as does The British and Irish Hypertension Society.