High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most widespread and costly health conditions facing the NHS. Often symptomless but incredibly serious, it is a major contributor to heart attacks, strokes and heart disease. It’s estimated that over a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, and many are unaware of it.
The long-term cost of managing these complications is significant. The NHS spends billions each year treating preventable cardiovascular events—many of which could be avoided with early detection, regular monitoring, and better self-management.
The case for change
Despite being manageable, high blood pressure often goes undetected or uncontrolled. Traditional models of care rely heavily on GP appointments, in-person check-ups, and manual data collection—creating barriers for patients and placing additional strain on already stretched primary care services.
But there’s a smarter, more scalable solution: remote blood pressure monitoring.
How Scotland are leading the way
Scotland is setting the standard. Through a coordinated national programme let by Connect Me, the remote patient monitoring team for Scotland, patients across the country are now using simple digital tools to monitor their blood pressure at home and share readings directly with their clinical teams.
Since the service began rolling out in 2019, more than 100,000 people have been supported, and it’s estimated to have saved over 400,000 in-person appointments. Patients can submit their readings through a mobile app, a secure web platform, text messages, or automated phone calls—making the system inclusive for people of all ages and digital skill levels.
Feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive with 99% found the service easy to use and 94% said they would use it again.
More importantly, it has helped people better understand and manage their condition—improving outcomes and reducing the risk of serious complications.
Why this matters now
As the NHS prepares for its next 10-Year Forward Plan, models like Scotland’s offer a clear blueprint for the rest of the UK. The ability to scale remote monitoring nationally has the potential to:
• Detect hypertension earlier
• Empower patients to manage their health
• Free up GP and nurse time
• Reduce long-term costs linked to heart and respiratory disease.
Hypertension is a silent killer—but with the right tools in place, we can shift from reactive to proactive care—and significantly reduce the burden on our health service.
A national model for best practice
Scotland’s approach shows how coordinated digital care can deliver real results. The national remote monitoring programme, Connect Me, is the only one of its kind in the UK, and stands as a model of best practice.
As healthcare systems look to innovate, improve outcomes, and operate more sustainably, rolling out remote blood pressure monitoring across all four nations should be a clear priority. The evidence is in—and the time to act is now.
Read more on our successful work rolling our remote patient monitoring services across Scotland.