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Leeds Central MP visits lifesaving men’s screening service The Rt Hon Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central, has given his strong backing to a lifesaving men’s screening service during a visit to Leeds General Infirmary. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is for men aged over 65, who are most at risk of serious illness or even death from this condition. The service run from the Trust - which covers both Leeds and Wakefield got under way in 2012 and has so far screened over 10,400 men, with over 6,700 attending in Leeds and over 3,700 in Wakefield. The programme has already been successful, identifying over 180 potentially dangerous aneurysms which would otherwise have gone undetected. During his visit to the Surgical Outpatients department in the Brotherton Wing at the LGI, Mr Benn met staff including Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Mr Craig Irvine, and Darren Cole, who manage the service.
“This service has already proved itself a life-saver” Also there to meet the MP was one of the AAA screening service’s early “success stories”, Mr Dennis Pattinson from Belle Isle. He went to a routine screening at his GP surgery just after his 65th birthday and the test identified a very large 7cm aneurysm, which could have ruptured at any time and potentially been fatal. Commenting after his visit, Mr Benn said “This screening service is a life saver and I would urge everyone to spread the word. I want to congratulate the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust on providing the screening and all the staff for their care and expertise.” Darren Cole, AAA screening programme manager, added: “This service has already proved itself a life-saver, and we are delighted that Mr Benn was able to come here to see in person the good work that we do and to hear about how we are improving the lives of men in the city. “We also hope his presence will help
Vital services: (l-r) Hilary Benn MP with Dennis and Christine Pattinson. Behind are Darren Cole and Mr Craig Irvine.
us spread the message about how important it is for local men to attend for a scan when they get one of the invitations that we send out after they turn 65. Attending for a test is extremely quick and routine and can make a real difference to ensuring they have a
happy and healthy retirement.” • Men over 65 in Central Yorkshire who have not previously been screened can self-refer for an appointment by ringing 0113 3923740. Patients are asked to have their NHS number to hand when self-referring.
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