Blood Pressure Tests

[es1]

Just had an email through from the FA about next years football at Step 5 and 6. Still no word on when it'll start but they're saying they'll need blood pressure tests for the fitness test...

What planet are they on over there? There isn't a GP in the country who would perform the test.

I know they don't want it next week but whenever they do there'll still be some risk of COVID and GP's will undoubtedly still be screening all appointments to make sure only those who absolutely need to attend the surgery.

 

[Justylove]

I’m wondering about who will be able to sign it off.

My wife is a Community First Responder and a friend of mine is a Paramedic, both of whom are trained and competent to take BP Don’t know if either of them would be allowed to do it. Or whether it needs to be a GP or a Pharmacist.

 

[Grayson]

My local surgeries have those cuff devices, just go in and shove yer arm and press the button. That'll do won't it?

 

[Justylove]

My local surgeries have those cuff devices, just go in and shove yer arm and press the button. That'll do won't it?

Upon attending your fitness test centre, you must produce the correct certificate, fully completed with a blood pressure test reading, the test for which must have been taken in the 14 days prior to the fitness test. The reading must be authenticated by a General Practitioner, Practice Nurse or similar professional. If a blood pressure test reading is not produced, or an unauthenticated reading is produced, you will not be allowed to undergo the fitness test.

So I think the “do it yourself” machines are out of the window.

 

[drahc]

Upon attending your fitness test centre, you must produce the correct certificate, fully completed with a blood pressure test reading, the test for which must have been taken in the 14 days prior to the fitness test. The reading must be authenticated by a General Practitioner, Practice Nurse or similar professional. If a blood pressure test reading is not produced, or an unauthenticated reading is produced, you will not be allowed to undergo the fitness test.

So I think the “do it yourself” machines are out of the window.

Correct. Ultimately, it needs to be from a doctor's surgery or pharmacy - either of which needs to stamp the blood pressure certificate. If you have a friend who has the equipment and/or experience, ultimately it only counts with that stamp.

 

[RustyRef]

Yeah, I've seen people turn up with forms signed by gym staff, personal trainers, even chemists, and they have been turned away. I had a problem with my GP as they trained the receptionists to use the walk up BP machine and from that point on wouldn't get the form signed by a GP or practice nurse, that wouldn't be acceptable (I did ask) so I had to pay to get the test done by a private GP company in the City.

 

[drahc]

Yeah, I've seen people turn up with forms signed by gym staff, personal trainers, even chemists, and they have been turned away. I had a problem with my GP as they trained the receptionists to use the walk up BP machine and from that point on wouldn't get the form signed by a GP or practice nurse, that wouldn't be acceptable (I did ask) so I had to pay to get the test done by a private GP company in the City.

I also work in the city, and for the last few years have just been popping into a Lloyds Pharmacy to check my blood pressure (tonnes of them across London, and appointments can be booked online)

 

[JamesL]

Just had an email through from the FA about next years football at Step 5 and 6. Still no word on when it'll start but they're saying they'll need blood pressure tests for the fitness test...

What planet are they on over there? There isn't a GP in the country who would perform the test.

I know they don't want it next week but whenever they do there'll still be some risk of COVID and GP's will undoubtedly still be screening all appointments to make sure only those who absolutely need to attend the surgery.

It does but then it says about being under constant review:

As it stands they are still planning fitness tests as normal but I suppose we will just have to wait and see what the future holds.

 

[JamesL]

Yeah, I've seen people turn up with forms signed by gym staff, personal trainers, even chemists, and they have been turned away. I had a problem with my GP as they trained the receptionists to use the walk up BP machine and from that point on wouldn't get the form signed by a GP or practice nurse, that wouldn't be acceptable (I did ask) so I had to pay to get the test done by a private GP company in the City.

Had no issue with pharmacy last few years. Doctors started wanting to charge me 20 quid.

 

[RustyRef]

Had no issue with pharmacy last few years. Doctors started wanting to charge me 20 quid.

It probably depends which invigilator you get. I've seen some only take a cursory glance at the form and then just copy the readings down, others have gone through it with a fine toothcomb. I asked one of them whether a pharmacy test would be accepted and he said no, that could have changed over the years though.

 

[Grayson]

Upon attending your fitness test centre, you must produce the correct certificate...

Christ. Thank god I binned this all off for another sport, football is bonkers.