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NHS: Screening

Volume 471: debated on Thursday 31 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the screening programme for (a) heart disease, (b) stroke, (c) diabetes, (d) kidney disease and (e) aortic aneurysm will be operational in all strategic health authority areas. (180334)

The Department is currently developing proposals for a screening programme. The purpose of the screening programme will be to identify people's levels of risk for cardiac and vascular disease so that they can be offered preventive measures.

The exact nature of a vascular risk assessment and management programme is still the subject of developmental work. It would be premature at this stage to set out specific details such as operational timescales.

With regard to screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm, discussions are underway with stakeholders to plan implementation starting with pilots in selected sites in England aiming for the programme to be operational in all strategic health authorities over the next five years.