Barnsley Rockley Rotary club held their fourth annual Health Awareness day in the Alhambra shopping mall last Saturday. Local GP Dr Prakash Kakoty, the president of the club, with a team of doctors and practice nurses offered free blood pressure tests to the Saturday morning shoppers. 280 people were tested of whom 19 were referred to their respective GP's.

This compares with last year's 300 tests of which 11 had high values but were already under treatment and 1 referral to a GP.

In spite of this apparent increase in the number with high blood pressures over one year, the overall trend is for a healthier Barnsley and a growing awareness of the importance of regular check ups.