The Camden Integrated Care Service (CICS) Hypertension Service provides advice and guidance on how to better manage patients referred through a virtual clinic. Hypertension referrals will be screened by a consultant.

Referrals may be triaged to a community nurse who takes referrals to nurse-led clinics. Patients are seen five times on average, with urine drug metabolite testing on the first visit and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM).

Behavioural support and referrals to lifestyle services (e.g. IAPT stress workshops) are offered. 

Nurse-led clinics are held at the Mary Rankin Unit in St Pancras on Mondays.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• patients on three or more blood-pressure-lowering agents who still have blood pressure measurements of >140/90mmHg
• patients with multiple drug intolerances/interactions
• patients with additional co-morbidity making management more difficult (e.g. chronic kidney disease)
• patients with other complexities/uncertainties requiring specialist advice.

Exclusions

• patients presenting with malignant hypertension (refer urgently to secondary care)
• patients with a clear suspicion of secondary hypertension (refer to secondary care for full diagnostic assessment)
• patients with accelerated hypertension.

How to Refer