Screening

In this section:

Screening is a way of identifying apparently healthy people who may have an increased risk of a particular condition. There are 2 types of national screening programmes, cancer screening programmes and non-cancer screening programmes.

The screening programmes are focused on specific age groups where the screening tests can have the best chance of identifying people at risk and getting them treatment. The NHS offers a range of screening tests to different sections of the population.

The benefits are:

  • screening can detect a problem early, before you have any symptoms
  • finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective
  • finding out you have a health problem or an increased risk of a health problem can help people make better informed decisions about their health
  • screening can reduce the risk of developing a condition or its complications

Cancer screening in Solihull looks for early signs of the disease in otherwise healthy people that do not have any symptoms.

If you are concerned that you have symptoms of cancer, you should:

  • contact your GP
  • call 111

Understanding cancer screening

Screening is the term given to the process which looks for the early signs of a disease.

The process looks for any changes to the body which could lead to cancer developing.

Screening can help spot cancers at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful and the chances of survival are much better.

There are 3 free cancer screening programmes in Solihull. Provided by the NHS, they are the:

Pregnant women are offered the following types of screening:

Newborn babies are offered:

From the age of 12, all people with diabetes are offered an annual diabetic eye test to check for early signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is a way of checking if there's a bulge or swelling in the aorta, the main blood vessel that runs from your heart down through your tummy.

This bulge or swelling is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm, or AAA.

It can be serious if it's not spotted early on because it could get bigger and eventually burst (rupture).

In England, screening for AAA is offered to men during the year they turn 65. Men aged 65 or over are most at risk of AAAs. Screening can help spot a swelling in the aorta early on when it can be treated.

Screening for AAA is not routinely offered to:

  • women
  • men under 65
  • people who have already been treated for an AAA

This is because the risk of an AAA is much smaller in these groups.

You can ask for a scan to check for an AAA if you think you might need one but have not been offered a screening test.