27th August 2026
If so, have you attended your abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening appointment? This is a free, potentially life-saving screening service offered at Thame's Community Hospital for men aged 65 and over as part of the Thames Valley AAA Screening Programme.
An abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, is a swelling in your aorta. The aorta is the main blood vessel that carries blood from your heart to the abdomen. Large AAAs can be serious, so they offer screening to find aneurysms early and monitor or treat them. If you have an AAA, you may not experience any symptoms, so the easiest way to find out is to have an ultrasound scan of your abdomen.
The NHS invites all men for screening in the year they turn 65, so please make sure your GP has your up to date details. Men aged over 65 who have not had screening can contact their local AAA screening service or speak to their GP to arrange a test. The procedure involves a simple ultrasound scan of your abdomen which usually takes less than 10 minutes.
Those registered as female with their GP are not invited for AAA screening, however trans and non-binary people assigned male at birth and aged 65 and over can ask their GP for AAA screening.
For further information visit the NHS website.
