What does this service provide?

Who we are 

We are a community-based service providing ultrasound measurements of the aorta as part of the NHS’s free national Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening programme. 

What we do 

We provide ultrasound measurements of the aorta. The procedure is non-invasive, harmless, quick and results are given at your clinic appointment. Your GP will be notified of the outcome by letter. 


Appointment information

Video transcript
The abdominal aortic aneurysm screening program invites all men for a simple free ultrasound scan in the year they turn 65.
Men aged over 65 who have not been screened before can contact their local service to arrange a test.
Screening is important because if you have an aneurysm you will not usually notice any symptoms.
This means you cannot tell if you have one you will not feel any pain and will probably not notice anything different.
We offer screening so we can find aneurysms early and monitor or treat them.
This greatly reduces the chances of the aneurysm causing serious problems.
Around 1 in 92 men who are screened have an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to your body it runs from your heart down through your chest and abdomen.
In some people as they get older the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak it can then expand and form an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
AAA screening is currently only offered to men as they are six times more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm than women.
The chance of having an aneurysm increases with age. your chance of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm can also increase if you are or have ever been a smoker, if you have high blood pressure, or your brother sister or parent has or has had an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The clinic your personal details will be checked the scam will be explained and you will be able to ask any questions. You'll be asked to lie down and lift up or unbutton your shirt do not need to undress a small amount of cool gel will be put on your abdomen and the scanning sensor will be moved over your skin the scan will show a picture of your aorta on a screen and it will then be measured this is very quick and usually lasts less than 10 minutes.
You will be told your results straight away and a copy will be sent to your GP practice.
Most men have an aorta that is less than three centimeters wide this means the aorta is not enlarged there is no aneurysm no treatment or monitoring is needed afterwards and we will not invite you for AAA screening again.
If your scan shows the presence of a small or medium-sized aneurysm, we will invite you back at regular intervals to monitor the size of your aneurysm.
If your aorta is five and a half centimeters wide or bigger you have a large aneurysm.
You will be offered an appointment with a specialist vascular team to discuss your treatment and this usually involves an operation.
If you have any queries special requirements or need to reschedule your screening appointment our friendly office staff can help.
Thank you for watching our film, we hope it provides you with more information about the AAA screening procedure we'll leave you with someone who's already experienced this and can let you know what to expect at your screening appointment.
My name is Byron Charlton, the reason I'm here is I've received an invitation letter for an AAA examination.
I was surprised to receive the invitation, but when I read the invitation letter and understood fully what it was about, I decided to turn up.
It was a very easy location for me as I only live about four miles from here. It was actually quite pleasurable to be honest. It was a little bit cold with the gel
on on my, on me but actually I was very surprised I thought it was going to be more invasive but it wasn't.
It was done by two lovely ladies and and they explained to me the procedure. The procedure was done very well and extremely good and I wasn't nervous at all. I was very surprised about that and then I got the results immediately, yeah I was very happy to attend the the procedure. As I was going home I felt very relaxed, very pleased that it was done and very happy that the results were negative.

Appointment types 

All appointments are held face to face at one of our community-based clinics. We have venues across Sussex and try our best to book appointments in the patient's local area. We offer clinics across Sussex.

Details of where your appointment will take place can be found in your appointment letter. If you wish to reschedule your appointment, please contact the AAA Screening Office.

Who you'll see 

You will see one of our screening technicians who will carry out the screening, explain what to expect from the procedure and answer any questions.  

  • if no aneurysm is found, you will be discharged from our service
  • if a small aneurysm is found, you will be monitored on an annual basis
  • if a medium aneurysm is found, you will be monitored every three months
  • if your aneurysm grows to 5.5cm you will be referred to our Vascular Team to follow the surgical pathway

How can I access this service?

Men in their 65th year are routinely contacted via  letter in the post by the screening programme and offered an appointment. The screening programme is provided with details of men registered at GP practices in the Sussex area, and selection is based on date of birth.

Older men who have not been screened before and who are registered with a GP in Sussex can self-refer by contacting the screening programme office by telephone, letter, or email details can be found in the ‘Where can I access this service’ section.

An appointment at a convenient time and location can then be arranged at one of our community-based clinics.


Where can I access this service?

Contact details
Telephone: 01903 843834

If you need to call us out of hours, you can leave a phone message and the screening office will contact you on the next working day. 

Where to find us
Address: AAA Screening Office, Durrington Health Centre, Durrington Lane, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 2RX

You can find us using the what3words address snippet below on the what3words website:

Alternatively, use the Google map below to get directions and plan your journey:

Opening hours

We are open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm (excluding bank holidays). 

Waiting times

We do not have a waiting list as all men in their 65th year automatically receive an invite via post to an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening. Older men who have not had an AAA Screening appointment can contact the AAA Screening Office to self-refer. 


Where can I find resources for this service?

Vascular Society Website – leading UK organisation promoting vascular health  

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – NHS information on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

NHS AAA screening programme publications explaining abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening  

AAA Screening Professional Guidance – guidance for local NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programme providers 


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    Page last reviewed: 25 March 2024
    Next review due: 25 September 2024