Bognor Medical Centre

15/09/2025

💉 Vaccines help protect what matters most 💜

Is your child up to date with their vaccinations?
Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect your little ones (and the wider community) from serious illnesses.

✅ Check your child’s vaccination record
✅ Book an appointment if anything is due
✅ Stay Strong, get vaccinated

🌐 More info: NHS Vaccinations https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/nhs-vaccinations-and-when-to-have-them/?wt.mc_id=dhscwintervax_VST_childhoodvaccineschedule_phrasematch&wt.tsrc=ppc&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22939336514&gbraid=0AAAAADPp1HU2NfwfU3w52qDzI6BN4244o&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8p7GBhCjARIsAEhghZ2uuwNHku1_75IY28GryyTCkR-B-J7c2FoWC3OXd4gfWEDPt1I0KvAaAojGEALw_wcB

Let’s keep our community healthy and protected! 🌟

12/09/2025

💙 Understanding & Treating High Blood Pressure 💙

High blood pressure (hypertension) happens when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls is consistently too high.
Over time this puts extra strain on your heart, blood vessels, kidneys and brain.

🧬 A bit of the biology

Your arteries are like flexible pipes. When they narrow or stiffen, or when your heart pumps harder, the pressure rises.
Things like too much salt, excess weight, stress hormones and certain medical conditions can all tighten those “pipes” or increase the pumping force.

🩺 How we help treat it

Treatment is usually a combination of lifestyle changes and, when needed, medication:

✅ Lifestyle steps
• Reduce salt and processed foods
• Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole grains
• Stay active – aim for 150 min of moderate exercise a week
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Limit alcohol, quit smoking, and manage stress

💊 Medication (if required)
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, your GP may prescribe medicines such as:
• ACE inhibitors or ARBs – relax and widen blood vessels
• Calcium channel blockers – help blood vessels stay relaxed
• Diuretics – help your body remove excess fluid and salt
Your doctor will choose what’s best based on your age, other conditions, and how your blood pressure responds.

If you wish to test your knowledge please take a look at Geekymedics who explains everything in a nice easy to understand way https://geekymedics.com/regulation-of-blood-pressure/

📈 Monitoring

Regular checks either at home or in surgery are key.
Knowing your numbers helps keep your heart, brain and kidneys protected.

💙 Small daily changes + the right support = big protection for your future health.

11/09/2025

11/09/2025

📚💙 Know Your Numbers with Bognor Regis Library! 💙📚

We love seeing our community come together for Blood Pressure Week.
A huge thank you to our local Bognor Regis Library for helping everyone take charge of their heart health.

👉 Through the West Sussex Blood Pressure Library Scheme, you can borrow a blood pressure monitor—just like a book!

📍 Find the Bognor Regis Library and learn more about the scheme here:
https://www.facebook.com/WestSussexLibraries

Let’s all take a moment this week to check in on our heart health. 💪💓

10/09/2025

💙 Let’s Talk About High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) 💙

High blood pressure often has no symptoms – but it can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, and dementia. The good news? Many of the causes are things we can understand and sometimes improve.

Common causes of high blood pressure:

👉 Unhealthy diet – too much salt, not enough fruit and veg.
👉 Lack of physical activity – being inactive makes your heart work harder.
👉 Being overweight – extra weight can put strain on your heart and blood vessels.
👉 Smoking & alcohol – both raise blood pressure and harm your heart.
👉 Stress – long-term stress can contribute to raised blood pressure.
👉 Age & family history – risk increases as we get older or if it runs in your family.
👉 Other health conditions – like diabetes, kidney disease, or thyroid issues.

💡 The only way to know your blood pressure is to check it regularly – at home, in a pharmacy, or at the surgery.

08/09/2025

Know Your Numbers! Week
https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/know-your-numbers/know-your-numbers-week/

Dr O'Donovan provides a practical demonstration of how to accurately record your blood pressure at home using an electronic blood pressure monitor and explai...

08/09/2025

💙 Know Your Numbers! Week – 8th to 14th September 2025 💙

Blood Pressure UK’s Know Your Numbers! Week is back and it’s the UK’s biggest blood pressure awareness campaign. This year’s focus: home blood pressure monitoring, because it’s one of the most accurate ways to check your heart health.

Why it matters:

Around one-third of UK adults have high blood pressure but don’t know it. That’s a risk factor for serious conditions like heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and dementia.

High blood pressure is often symptomless — the only way to know is to measure it!

Be part of the movement:

Let’s help find the “missing millions” — people with undiagnosed high blood pressure. Your simple check could be lifesaving.

Stay tuned—we’ll share tips and support all week to help you monitor and improve your blood pressure.

08/09/2025

💙 We really love this simple and easy-to-follow guide from Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust 👏

Choosing the right NHS service helps you get the care you need quicker and also supports your local GP practice, hospitals, and pharmacies to care for everyone.

👉 Pharmacy: Great for minor illnesses and quick advice.
👉 GP: Your first point of call for ongoing or non-urgent issues.
👉 NHS 111: Available 24/7 for urgent advice when it’s not an emergency.
👉 Urgent Care: For urgent but not life-threatening issues.
👉 A&E / 999: For life-threatening emergencies only.

At Bognor Medical Practice, we’re proud to be part of the NHS family, and together we can make sure everyone gets the right care at the right time. 💙

💭 Help us help you by choosing the right service.

Knowing how to access the right care at the right time means quicker support for you and others. Here’s how to make the right choice:

🤒 Self-care
For minor issues like sunburn, hay fever, mild dehydration, or heat rash—rest, stay hydrated, use sun protection, and try over-the-counter remedies.

💊 Pharmacy
Pharmacists can help with a range of minor illnesses and give expert advice—no appointment needed!
Find your nearest pharmacy: https://buff.ly/ClqhF72

👩⚕️ GP or NHS 111
If you have a new or worsening health concern, contact your GP practice or call NHS 111 (online or by phone) for support and guidance.

⏳ Urgent care
For urgent but non-life-threatening issues—like minor burns, sprains, or insect bites—visit a UTC or MIU.
Book an appointment: https://buff.ly/PNVsaXS

🚑 Emergency
In life-threatening emergencies, go to your nearest Emergency Department or call 999 immediately

05/09/2025

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infections-utis/

05/09/2025

We apologies for this and are working hard to support as much as we can

04/09/2025

💙 Farewell & Best Wishes to Dr Hadia Mandour 💙

We said goodbye to Dr Hadia Mandour Friday last week, who is moving on to a new surgery a little closer to home (we’re sure she won’t miss that 1.5 hour commute each way! 😅).

Dr Mandour’s kindness, energy, and her always-bright smile will be truly missed here at Bognor Medical Centre. She has been a much-loved member of our team and we know many patients will join us in wishing her the very best of luck in her new role.

Thank you, Dr Mandour, for everything you’ve brought to our surgery, we’ll miss you dearly! 🌟

04/09/2025

🌸 Tea & Talk: Planning Ahead with Confidence 🌸

As part of the frailty reviews we’ve been carrying out at Bognor Medical Centre, many patients have told us that planning for the future can feel overwhelming, but having the right information makes a huge difference.

That’s why we’d love to highlight this upcoming free event hosted by Friends of the Avisford Medical Group:

It’s a great opportunity to get clear, supportive advice on topics that matter to so many of our patients and their families.

💙 Forward planning isn’t just about paperwork, it’s about peace of mind for you and those you care about.