| Providing your physician has a well-organized | | | | disease prevention. Those with recent training |
| follow up system, you are likely to be better off | | | | may even be more up to date that the doctors |
| with your general practitioner than with any | | | | who employ them. Nurses usually have more time |
| hospital clinic. There is likely to be more continuity | | | | and are often more in touch with the practical |
| and it is much easier to integrate care of any | | | | problems of living on an average income. |
| other problems you may have with control of | | | | However well you seem to be doing, you should |
| your blood pressure. Some general practitioners | | | | see your doctor for a review at least once every |
| have no organized follow up system, but rely | | | | 5 years and many doctors do this annually. Unless |
| instead on people asking them to do things when | | | | the practice has some computer-based reminder |
| they com to surgery for an appointment. With | | | | system, it can be easy to let this slide, because |
| well-informed people this can work, but you must | | | | general practitioners practices are so busy. Your |
| make sure that your blood pressure is checked | | | | nurse should be operating within guidelines, which |
| every three months or so and that you have a | | | | indicate when a doctor's opinion is needed. This |
| more general check (including a urine test for | | | | should include a target pressure, usually less than |
| kidney function) about once very 5 years. If your | | | | 160/90 mmHg or thereabouts. If your |
| general practitioner is really not interested, you will | | | | measurements are consistently higher than this, |
| probably be better off with an endless succession | | | | either the nurse will change your medication (with |
| of young doctors in training in a clinic hospital. | | | | guidelines) or you should see your doctor. |
| They won't know you, but they will check the | | | | If you are concerned about other problems, which |
| most important things that need checking. | | | | may or may not be related to either your high |
| It is just as good to be followed up by a practice | | | | blood pressure or to its treatment, there's no |
| nurse as by a doctor. Generally, practices which | | | | harm in asking your nurse about this first. If she's |
| have developed enough of a team approach to | | | | not sure of the answer, she will probably either |
| delegate follow-up to nurses are likely to be more | | | | ask a doctor, or arrange for you to see one. |
| thoughtful and up to date than practices which | | | | Problems may arise where nurses are under |
| have not, but there are many exceptions, | | | | pressure to protect a doctor from an excessive |
| particularly in practices too small to allow division | | | | workload, often real enough. If you suspect this is |
| of labor. More and more practice nurses are | | | | the case and you really to want to see your |
| getting special training to run blood pressure follow | | | | doctor, you must insist on your right to do so. In |
| up clinics and often clinics for other related | | | | the last resort, you can change to another doctor. |
| problems such as diabetes or coronary heart | | | | |