Clamour for AAA timetable grows louder

Over fifty MPs have now backed a motion calling on the government to announce the timetable for introducing screening for for abdominal aortic aneurysms.

The announcement by PM Gordon Brown in January that he would introduce such a scheme represents a significant success for the Men's Health Forum which has campaigned since 2004 for older men to be screened for this little known condition which kills 7,000 a year.

In a parliamentary debate on the plans, MP Dr Howard Stoate, pictured above with Brown, said 'I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Men's Health Forum. Along with Ministers and the all-party group on men's health, I have worked very closely with that organisation to ensure that interventions shown to be worth while and to provide value for money are adopted. As a result of all our hard work, the Prime Minister has announced that the programme that we have been advocating would be taken up.'

MHF CEO Peter Baker said: 'The Forum is delighted by the prime minister's announcement and hopes the older men to be targeted start receiving invites for scans soon.

'However, we are concerned that there are still no details about when screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms will start, how the programme will work and what resources will be available to make it work. We are already campaigning for this situation to be clarified, for screening to start and the delays to end.'