During the visit Damien Moore MP met with Pharmacist Sanjay Anand and Pharmacy Technician Kelly Melvin, who explained the hidden dangers around blood pressure and the importance of getting regularly checked and the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. To highlight this, Flyde Road Pharmacy provided free blood pressure checks to anyone who visited on Blood Pressure Day.
Any person who was found to have had high blood pressure was given leaflets and advice on how to reduce it. It was also explained what steps can be taken to help relieve long-term symptoms, such as looking at food packaging to check salt levels, eating more fruit and vegetables and stopping smoking.
The Pharmacy have also endorsed the British Heart Foundations mantra of “10 minutes to change your life” making people aware that you do not have to partake in jogging or aerobics to help reduce blood pressure, small changes like walking instead of driving, or taking the stairs instead of the lift can make a substantial difference.
A collection has now been started by the pharmacy to raise a £1,000 to purchase a defibrillator for the local community, and installed between Fylde Road Pharmacy and The Co-op.
Commenting, Damien Moore MP said:
‘It was a pleasure to visit Fylde Road Pharmacy to highlight the dangers of high blood pressure, Sanjay and Kelly have done some outstanding work on this issue, I saw this in person when residents visited the pharmacy.’
‘I was particularly impressed by their community spirit and willingness to help people. There is no doubt that their hard work will help save peoples lives and I look forward to returning to the pharmacy on Blood Pressure Week to help them further highlight this issue.’
Commenting, Kelly Melvin said:
“I would like to thank Mr Moore for taking the time out of his busy schedule to help support the awareness of high blood pressure. He very kindly donated money to help raise enough funds for us to buy a community defibrillator. I look forward to welcoming Mr Moore back to the pharmacy when we hold Blood Pressure Week “
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