Kent County Council is urging residents to get a blood pressure check during Know Your Numbers Week, 7 to 13 September 2026, warning that around a third of people in the UK have high or low blood pressure without knowing it.
More than four in ten adults have no idea what their blood pressure is. And that ignorance, bluntly, can kill. Kent County Council is backing Know Your Numbers Week to push residents towards free checks at local pharmacies or through their GP — because high blood pressure remains one of the most preventable causes of death in the country.
The silent killer. That’s the phrase medics use for high blood pressure, and it’s earned: there are no obvious symptoms until something catastrophic happens. A heart attack. A stroke. Low blood pressure carries its own hazards — dizziness, fainting, falls — which matter especially to older residents.
Jamie Henderson, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Coastal Regeneration and Public Health, said: “Know Your Numbers Week is a really important reminder that knowing your blood pressure could be the most important step you take for your health. By supporting this week’s national campaign, I hope we’ll raise awareness and encourage more Kent residents to check their blood pressure or attend their routine NHS Health Check when invited.”
Dr Ellen Schwartz, KCC’s Deputy Director of Public Health, said: “High blood pressure is a leading preventable cause of death in the UK. More than 4 in 10 adults don’t know their current blood pressure reading. Yet it often doesn’t cause symptoms until it causes serious harm — which is why we call it the silent killer. If you know your numbers, and they are high or low, just one small change like cutting down on salt, or moving more, could make a difference. It also means your doctor can see if you need extra help from some medication.”
Getting checked is straightforward. You can do it at home with a monitor, visit a participating pharmacy for a free check, or book an NHS Health Check — which is essentially a free health MOT covering blood pressure, height, weight and a finger-prick cholesterol test. You come away with a personal risk score and tailored advice. It can flag early signs of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and stroke, giving people time to act before anything goes wrong.
The NHS Health Check is offered every five years to anyone aged 40 to 74 with no pre-existing condition. GP surgeries text eligible patients who have a mobile number on file; those without get a letter, but no follow-up reminder. KCC’s message is simple: if the invite arrives, don’t bin it.
Key information
- Know Your Numbers Week runs 7 to 13 September 2026
- Free blood pressure checks are available at participating pharmacies across Kent
- NHS Health Check eligibility: aged 40 to 74, no pre-existing health condition; contact your GP surgery to check or register a mobile number via the NHS App to receive a text invite
- Small changes such as cutting down on salt or moving more can reduce blood pressure risk; your GP can advise on medication if needed
Kent pushes free blood pressure checks during Know Your Numbers Week Quiz
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