Reducing Heart Disease In Scotland

Dear Sir/Madam

In Scotland, Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease) is the second most common cause of death after cancer. It causes over 25% of all deaths in Scotland with many of these in people aged under 75 years old. Many of these are avoidable which means that they are preventable or treatable through timely and effective intervention. Many people are not aware that they are living with risk factors that increase their risk of Cardiovascular Disease such as raised Blood Pressure. It is estimated that one in three adults have high Blood Pressure but only around a quarter of these are treated and controlled.

As such, the Scottish Government have commenced a national programme to address this issue with the aim to significantly reduce avoidable cardiovascular deaths. Pitcairn Practice has agreed to participate in this programme to help our patients improve their cardiovascular health.

Patients aged 35-60 years old who have not received the full list of Cardiovascular checks within the past 3 years are being invited to attend the practice. These checks include:

•    Blood Pressure
•    Bloods for cholesterol and diabetes check
•    Weight and waist circumference
•    Smoking status

Following this, each patient will receive a telephone appointment with a GP to discuss their results.

You have been identified as being eligible for the above assessment and we kindly invite you to contact Pitcairn Practice for your Cardiovascular Disease risk assessment. We strongly encourage that you do this to address any risk factors and improve your cardiovascular health.

If you have any questions, please get in contact with a member of the practice team on 01334 871164.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Craig Morrison