“Plans for GPs to diagnose most hypertension cases using 24-hour ambulatory BP monitors may be ‘unfeasible’ and would cost practices thousands of pounds.” according to GP Online, quoting Dr Kathryn Griffith, president of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, who was reacting to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendation – for consultation until 22 March – that practices in England should offer more at home BP monitoring using devices “costing around £1,000 each”. She said that no-one gives GPs the money to fund the devices and added that extra consultations to instruct patients to use the device would generate additional workload. BP monitoring plan to cost GPs thousands of pounds. NICE consultation.
UPDATE 18:25 – Story is making mainstream media. BBC item.
UPDATE 23 Feb – And another related home BP measuring story from the day before, about a new device/algorithm. Ground-breaking technology will revolutionise blood pressure measurement for first time for over a century. (Heads up thanks to Toni Bunting)