National Screening Programmes

What is screening?

Screening is a way of identifying apparently healthy people who may have an increased risk of a particular condition. The NHS offers a range of screening tests to different sections of the population.

The aim is to offer screening to the people who are most likely to benefit from it. For example, some screening tests are only offered to newborn babies, others such as breast screening and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening are only offered to older people.

The practice offers the full range of screening tests which are approved by the NHS. Some of these are organised directly by the practice while many others, e.g. aortic aneurysm and bowel cancer screening are organised indirectly through the wider NHS using the practice data base of registered patients.

For more detailed information about the range of screening tests approved and supported by the NHS please click here.

Lincolnshire Screening Programme

• Bowel Screening in Lincolnshire (men and women)

  Bowel screening is offered to men and women between the ages of 60 and 74.

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening in Lincolnshire (men only)

  Men are screened in the year in which they reach 65 years of age. If this is negative then no further routine screening is considered necessary.

• Cervical Screening in Lincolnshire

  Women who are registered with a GP in Lincolnshire are automatically invited for screening between the age of 25 and 64.

• Breast Screening Service in Lincolnshire

  At present women aged between 50-70 are screened. In the near future this will be extended to women aged between 47-73.

Diabetic Retinopathy Screening

Lincolnshire diabetic retinopathy screening information is available by following this link.

Pregnancy and Newborn Babies

There are six screening programmes offered during pregnancy and for newborn babies – ask your midwife or health visitor. For advice about other types of screening, speak to your GP initially or visit www.screening.nhs.uk/public

Useful Contacts for the Lincolnshire Programmes

• Breast Screening Unit at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust
  Tel: 01522 573999
• Bowel Cancer Hub Freephone Helpline –
  Tel: 0800 707 60 60
• Retinopathy Screening Programme
  Tel: 01205 358445
• Early Presentation of Cancer (EPOC) – 01522 533510 or www.epoc.me

Chlamydia Screening Programme

This is a national programme run through the Health Protection Agency. It seeks to opportunistically screen sexually active 15-24 year olds for chlamydia.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that often has no symptoms; it can affect all those sexually active, but is more prevalent in the 15-24 year olds age group. Chlamydia is serious, it can cause fertility issues in both men and women and is easily spreadable.

There are more than 420 screening sites across the county.

For more information about chlamydia please follow this link, or call our chlamydia screening team on 07879 630619.

NHS Health Checks

The practice offers NHS Health checks which are focused primarily on preventing vascular/heart disease, but also screen for diabetes and kidney disease. You will be invited for an NHS Health Check every five years if you are between 40 and 74 years old, as long as you don’t have an existing vascular condition. These checks are performed by the Health Care Assistants and assess the risk factors likely to provoke coronary disease. After the health check you will receive a written summary of the findings and recommendations on lifestyle measures aimed at preventing problems emerging in the future.

Useful national links

• Breast Screening
• Bowel Cancer Screening
• Cervical Cancer Screening
• Diabetic Retinopathy Screening
• Foetal Anomaly Screening
• Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening
• Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening
• Newborn Infant and Physical Exam
• Newborn Blood Spot Screening
• Newborn Hearing Screening