(2) how many phases of NHS Abdominal Aortic Screening programme there will be;
(3) which NHS trusts have submitted an application to the NHS Abdominal Aortic Screening programme to begin an ultrasound screening programme for aortic aneurysms;
(4) what the timetable is for the full implementation of the NHS Abdominal Aortic Screening programme;
(5) what estimate his Department made about the number of patients who will have been screened in each of the sites covered by phase one of the NHS Abdominal Aortic Screening programme after (a) one year and (b) five years;
(6) when ultrasound screening for aortic aneurysms will begin in each of the sites covered by phase one of the NHS Abdominal Aortic Screening programme;
(7) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that men aged 65 years old participate in an ultrasound screening programme for aortic aneurysms (a) at each of the early implementation sites and (b) when the programme is fully implemented.
The NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening programme has cost £5,335,809.50 up to the end of March 2010. This is made up of start up and full year costs for six early implementation sites, start up costs for four phase one sites, screening equipment for 10 sites, training of technicians and information leaflets.
It is anticipated that there will be a maximum of eight phases of roll out, however the exact number is unknown as this depends on the number of applications received and geographical fit of each local screening programme.
The following national health service trusts have been successful with their applications to begin ultrasound screening for aortic aneurysms:
Phase Screening Programme NHS Trust Early Implementation Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Early Implementation West Sussex Royal West Sussex NHS Trust Early Implementation South West London St George's Healthcare Trust Early Implementation South Devon and Exeter South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Early Implementation South Manchester Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Early Implementation Leicestershire University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust Phase 1 Peninsula Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust Phase 1 Heartlands Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Phase 1 South East London Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust Phase 1 North East Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Phase 1 North Central London The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust Phase 1 North West London Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust Phase 1 East Yorkshire and The Humber Hull and East Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust
It is anticipated that full national roll out of the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening programme will be completed by the end of 2012-13.
The following table details the numbers of patients screened in phase one after a) one
year and b) five years:
Screening Programme Year One Year Five Peninsula 4,369 29,512 South East London 4,818 32,548 North East 11,598 78,350 Heartlands 3,364 22,721 North Central London 3,966 26,789 North West London 7,349 49,648 East Yorkshire and The Humber 4,199 28,363
All phase one sites will be screening by the end of May 2010.
The national programme team have put in place a number of measures to ensure the highest possible take up of screening once men have been identified for screening through their general practitioner. Examples include:
Involving 65 year old men when developing the initial communication materials for the screening programme to ensure that key messages were targeted at the right level;
National information leaflets have been designed for use in local programmes to ensure consistency of messages and offer informed choice;
Recruiting a Communications manager to work with local programmes ensuring that the right information is promoted to suit their local demographic; and
Commissioning an independent evaluation of all information to assess:
whether the patient information materials met the needs of men invited for screening
how well men invited for screening understand the risks they may face and;
assess how well health professionals think the information meets the needs of men invited for screening and the programme itself.
The following table details the number of patients screened by each screening programme to the end of February 2010:
Screening Programme Numbers of patients screened Gloucestershire 4,214 Leicestershire 4,247 South West London 3,000 South Devon 2,276 South Manchester 1,878 West Sussex 3,111