In April a UK-first project run by London South Bank University (LSBU), Croydon BME Forum and Off The Record trained eight barbers who have customers in Croydon, Bromley, Lambeth and Southwark to provide on-the-spot blood pressure checks.
Around 30 per cent of men in the UK currently have high blood pressure, around half of these are not diagnosed or receiving treatment. High blood pressure is the third biggest cause of disease in the UK, leading to heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease costing the NHS £2billion every year.
Debi Roberts, project coordinator at Croydon BME Forum said: “For the first time in the UK, barbers are offering testing to their customers to find out if they have high blood pressure and giving advice about how to reduce it. But sadly like many businesses over the last year, barbershops are seeing fewer customers as a result of the pandemic.
“Today we’re calling on Londoners to visit one of the brilliant eight London barbershops who are giving free blood pressure tests.
“It’s a great way of supporting your local business, getting a great haircut and getting a quick test which could save your life and reduce your chance of a heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.”
The eight London barbers who are providing blood pressure tests are:
- Da Ace Of Fades in Thornton Heath
- The Barber Shop in Croydon
- Finishing Touches in Mitcham
- Yian the Barber in South Norwood
- Cutter Hair Doctor in South Norwood
- J & D Doyleys in Thornton Heath
- House of Bertrand in Bromley and
- Juls The Hair Klinik in Mitcham
