Screening

Breast Cancer Screening

Breast cancer risk is strongly related to age, with more than 80% of cases occurring in women over 50 years old. The highest number of cases of breast cancer diagnosed is in the 50-64 age group, the age group targeted for screening.

Many of them are diagnosed as a result of the screening programme. Survival rates for breast cancer have increased, with 72% of women diagnosed with the disease now being likely to survive for 10 years. This is much improved on rates ten years ago when 64% of women would be expected to survive for 10 years.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme continues to work closely with units across the region to deliver breast screening for all women aged over 50.

Patients are targeted, through their GP surgery, on a three yearly rolling programme. This will therefore mean that you could be invited for screening at any point between the age of 50 and 53, depending on when our practice screening falls. 

Bowel Cancer Screening

Approximately one in twenty people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with over 16,000 people dying from it each year. It affects men and women equally. 

Regular bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16%. From June 2008 a national bowel screening programme was introduced across Nottinghamshire County. This aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be effective.

If you are aged 60-69 years old and registered at St. George’s Medical Practice, you will automatically receive a free self-screening kit on a 2-yearly basis. You will be sent a simple test kit to complete in the privacy of your home. This will involve collecting a small sample from three separate bowel motions and, using a specially designed prepaid envelope, returning the kit to the laboratory for analysis.

Prostate Cancer Screening

Prostate cancer is a serious condition. The PSA test, which can give an early indication of prostate cancer, is available to you if you want to be tested. However, experts disagree on how useful the PSA test is. This is why there is a lot of research and why there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK. An information leaflet has been developed (see below) providing balanced information about the PSA test, which will hopefully help you to decide whether or not you wish to have the test.

PSA Information Leaflet

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening

The NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme’s main aim is to reduce the number of deaths from ruptured AAAs.

An AAA is a weakening and stretching of the main blood vessel (aorta) in the abdominal (tummy) area. The aorta supplies blood to the body.

If you have an AAA there is a risk that it may split or tear (rupture).

An AAA does not usually present with any symptoms, therefore, people do not know they have one.

One of the main risk factors is being male. This includes transgender women who were assigned (born) male at birth. The risk increases with age and can also increase if you:

  •  smoke
  • have high blood pressure
  • have a close family history of this condition

The test

An ultrasound scan is used to test for an AAA. This is similar to that used during pregnancy to check on the baby. This takes, on average, approximately 10 minutes and results are usually given straight away. 

Who is eligible for screening?
  • Men who are registered with a GP as male, are in their 65th year and older and have not previously been screened.
  • People assigned male at birth, are registered with their GP as female in their 65th year and older and have not previously been screened.
  • People assigned male at birth, are registered with their GP as non-binary in their 65th year and older and have not previously been screened.

People who have had an operation to repair an AAA are not eligible for screening. Therefore, if you have had a repair for an AAA and have been invited for screening, please inform your local screening programme – see the ‘Who to contact’ section.

Invitation letters are automatically sent out to:
  • Men registered with their GP as male who are in their 65th
People who will need to contact their local AAA screening programme to request to be screened:
  • Men registered with their GP as male who are over 65 years of age – see the ‘Who to contact’ section.
  • People assigned male at birth who are registered with their GP as female or non-binary and who are in their 65th year and older – see the ‘Who to contact’ section.

Within the Nottinghamshire AAA screening programme clinics are held mainly in community venues throughout the local area.  Please contact the Nottinghamshire screening programme to find out where your local clinic is.

Who to contact

The Nottinghamshire AAA screening programme office is open 9am – 5pm and is based at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.  Contact details are:

  • Tel: 0115 9249924, ext. 62394 or 82378 – if you are leaving a voicemail message please include a forwarding telephone number.
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Address: The Nottinghamshire AAA screening Programme, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen’s Medical Centre, F11 Curie Court, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH
Further information can be found at:

Chlamydia Screening

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in people under the age of 25. It affects both males and females and because it often has no early symptoms, it can go undiagnosed for some time. About 1 in 10 sexually active young people test positive, yet did not know they had it. If left untreated it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. As part of the Central Nottingham Chlamydia Screening Programme, we are now offering Chlamydia screening to any patients aged 15 – 24. The test is self-taken and full instructions given. Kits are available from your nurse, doctor or reception, on request.

If you have any concerns or questions with regards to sexual health, irrespective of age, please make an appointment with your doctor or nurse