Football fans scanned more than the match stats at Good Friday’s Southend United game, thanks to an innovative partnership between the local NHS and the club that is helping to raise awareness of the ‘silent killer’ putting thousands of fans at risk.
On Friday 18 April, NHS Mid and South Essex teamed up with Southend United Football Club to raise awareness about high blood pressure – the ‘silent killer’ that frequently has no symptoms, allowing it to go undetected – as part of its Invincible Feeling, Invisible Danger campaign.
Home supporters and away fans watching Southend United V Braintree Town scanned a QR code attached to food and drink packaging they purchased at the football match.
The QR code linked to the Invincible Feeling, Invisible Danger campaign webpage, which provides information about the dangers of high blood pressure (hypertension), who is most at risk, and vital information on how to get blood pressure checks. There are an estimated 88,000 people living in mid and south Essex with undiagnosed high blood pressure, putting them at increased risk of life-threatening heart and circulatory illnesses including heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia.
We are excited to be working in partnership with Southend United to improve community health and reach football fans across our county who might not realise why it’s so important to check their blood pressure. Raising this awareness could mean they get the help they need early on, as many people with high blood pressure feel completely healthy as it has no symptoms.
This is why it’s so important to have regular checks, particularly if you are over 40 years old and haven’t checked your blood pressure in the last five years or have a family history of high blood pressure.
The next time you feel like your blood pressure soared when your favourite team takes that winning shot, take a sec to check.
Advanced nurse practitioner Neil Magee, system clinical lead for cardiovascular health at NHS Mid and South Essex
The campaign is raising awareness about who is at greatest risk from high blood pressure, which includes people who:
- have an unbalanced diet
- are overweight
- smoke
- drink too much alcohol
- experience long-term stress
- are of Black African, Black Caribbean, or South Asian background
We’re proud to support the NHS in raising awareness of high blood pressure, a condition that often goes unnoticed but can have life-threatening consequences. As a football club at the heart of the community, we know how important it is to use our platform to promote health and wellbeing. If encouraging our fans to scan a QR code at the match against Braintree Town leads to even one person getting their blood pressure checked, then this partnership has made a real difference.
Tom Lawrence, CEO of Southend United Football Club
NHS Mid and South Essex is also working with NHS services and public health teams across mid and south Essex, including at Southend-on-Sea City Council, to boost awareness about the importance of knowing your blood pressure.
This is a fantastic example of how we can reach people in new ways to talk about their health. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so raising awareness like this can truly save lives. I would also like to encourage anyone over 40 to get a free blood pressure check at their local pharmacy – it’s quick, easy, and could make all the difference.
Cllr Maxine Sadza, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Healthier Communities at Southend-on-Sea City Council
Residents over the age of 40 can take advantage of blood pressure checking services at local pharmacies across mid and south Essex, which offer free NHS blood pressure checks without the need for an appointment.
Alongside blood pressure, heart health can also be impacted by high cholesterol, which can block blood vessels. Monitoring cholesterol levels and staying active can strengthen heart health, improve blood flow and reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure and your health, speak to your pharmacist or GP or visit the NHS Mid and South Essex blood pressure webpage.