A blood pressure monitoring system that includes a compact housing that contains a pneumatic circuit that is removably attached to an inflatable cuff by a hoseless connector so that the cuff can be inflated and deflated to provide blood pressure readings that are detected by a pressure sensor. A controller is also contained in the housing which controls the circuit activities and records blood pressure related data. The controller is linked via a bidirectional communication system with a processor that is contained in a host station which programs the controller and collects and records blood pressure related data. The communication system also allows the monitoring system to communicate over a wider network with other remote stations.