New tool to improve home blood pressure monitoring
The Wakefield Primary Care Network (PCN) Digital Team has developed a new tool to make home blood pressure monitoring easier for patients and practice staff. The team works on behalf of all PCNs across Wakefield, and this project is a good example of how local collaboration can lead to practical improvements.
Home blood pressure monitoring helps clinicians diagnose and manage high blood pressure. But patients often submit several readings, and staff then need to calculate the average by hand. This adds to workloads and can lead to small inconsistencies.
The Digital Team worked closely with practice staff to understand the problem, then built a Blood Pressure Average Calculator to solve it. The tool calculates the average automatically, in line with recognised home monitoring guidance.
The project began as a standalone calculator
After positive feedback from staff and patients, the team developed it further, building the tool into practice websites. Patients can now enter their readings, get an instant average, and send the results straight to their GP practice.
A key strength of the tool is how well it fits alongside existing systems. Rather than replacing the platforms practices already use, it works alongside them, giving every practice a consistent way to manage the process regardless of supplier.
Benefits across the system
For patients:
- An easier, more accessible way to submit blood pressure readings
- No need to work out averages themselves
- More confidence that their information has been submitted correctly
For practice teams:
- Less administrative work
- Less time spent on manual calculations
- More consistent information from patients
For clinicians:
- Average readings available straight away
- Fewer calculation errors
- Quicker, more efficient patient reviews
Built through listening and collaboration
This project shows what can happen when a digital team listens closely to staff, gathers feedback from patients, and responds with a practical solution.
The tool is not designed for one practice alone. The Digital Team supports every PCN across Wakefield, helping good ideas reach as many people as possible. Its growing use across practices shows how locally developed solutions, shaped by staff and patient input, can support wider digital transformation in primary care.
We have created a shareable infographic of this case study for our networks, patients and partners.