How do I find information on the Primary Prevention Clinic

Frequently asked questions:

What does Primary Prevention mean?
Primary prevention means looking at all the factors that make some patients more likely than others to develop heart and circulation problems. These are known as risk factors. Where risk factors are identified, such as having high blood pressure, your doctor or nurse can then work with you to help reduce the chance of developing heart or circulation problems.

What are risk factors?
The reason why patients are treated for high blood pressure or high cholesterol is because these factors put them at increased risk of developing heart and circulation problems such as stroke in the future. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are therefore known as risk factors. Other risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Family history of heart disease at a young age

Why do I need to come to this clinic rather than seeing my doctor as I usually do?
Ideally every year each of your ‘risk factors’ needs re-assessing. If this is done in an organised and structured setting such as the Primary Prevention Clinic, experience has shown that you end up receiving the care that is best tailored to your needs.

Who will I actually see at the clinic?
This clinic is run by a specialist nurse.
You will normally spend some time with her and she will then refer you to a doctor if any of your medications need changing or if you have any other problems.

Why do I need to bring a specimen of urine?
The doctor or nurse will be checking your urine for any signs of kidney damage as high blood pressure can damage the kidneys.

Should I still see my own doctor about my blood pressure?
Patients on treatment for blood pressure should be seen every six months if everything is under control, or more frequently if you are having your medications altered. You will be invited to attend this Primary Prevention Clinics once a year. You should therefore also have another check-up in between your yearly visits to the Primary Prevention Clinic, which you can book with your own GP in the usual way.