Andrew Bridgen MP raises awareness of take your meds campaign

Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, is supporting the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) campaign highlighting the importance of taking prescribed medication as directed by your doctor, pharmacist or nurse, and where you can go for help.

More than 33 per cent of people in the East Midlands have returned medicines without using them, while more than 31 per cent have thrown them away putting their heart health at risk.

The statistics have prompted the BHF to launch its Just Like That campaign, featuring the late great comedian Tommy Cooper, urging people with heart problems, high cholesterol and high blood pressure to take their medications.

More than 60 percent of people in the East Midlands have high cholesterol and more than 30 per cent have high blood pressure. These conditions are known as invisible killers because they don’t have symptoms but left untreated slowly damage blood vessels in the heart and make it easier for potentially deadly clots to form causing a heart attack or stroke.

Andrew Bridgen MP said: “The British Heart Foundation has highlighted that many people struggle to take their medication as prescribed and so it’s important to spread the message that there is help out there.

“The nation’s heart charity is raising awareness of a very important issue and anyone who is worried about their medication should give the charity’s friendly and qualified nurses a call for support and guidance.

“I hope this campaign is successful in helping my constituents take Tommy’s catchphrase to heart and they take their medicines, just like that.”

The BHF is asking anyone struggling with their medication to phone its nurses via its Heart Helpline on 0300 333 1 333 or to visit bhf.org.uk/tommy.

Photo: Andrew Bridgen MP poses with Tommy Cooper’s trademark fez to help urge people to take their medication as prescribed or call BHF nurses for support