Cervical Screening Saves Lives
Every year, more than 3,200 women in the UK hear the words ‘you have cervical cancer’.
However, regular cervical screening could prevent 99.8% of those cases, saving more than 850 lives every year.
This week is Cervical Screening Awareness week, and we’re marking it by launching a new project.
There are two parts: a new information hub about all aspects of cervical screening and a research project for which we want to hear from you.
Part of the work of Primary Care Networks – groups of GP practices – is to tackle health inequalities. We are focussing on cervical screening because we believe we can make a difference and save lives in this area.
We think that, across Gosforth and Jesmond, around 1 in 3 women aren’t regularly getting screened.
Cervical screening is the best way to prevent cervical cancer. Screening saves lives.
Read on to find out more.
Online Hub: Cervical Screening Saves Lives
Our new online Hub is a one-stop-shop for information about cervical screening.
It starts with an introduction to cervical cancer and its symptoms. Statistics highlight that nearly all cases are preventable.
Next, we discuss how the NHS screening programme is designed to protect us from avoidable illnesses before discussing cervical screening in detail.
Every woman and person with a cervix will be invited for a screening before their 25th birthday.
The screenings usually take place in GP practices with a female Nurse or GP. A cell sample is taken from your cervix with a soft brush and tested for signs of Human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is the cause of most types of cervical cancer. Finding and treating it early can prevent cancer from developing.
Answering Your Questions and Putting You at Ease
We know that medical examination can make us anxious, especially when it is an intimate part of our body. We’ve answered as many questions or concerns as possible in our video FAQs. Doctors, nurses and patients talk you through the process and share their experiences.
We want you to have the information you need to decide about cervical screening that is right for you. That leads to the second part of our project.
Understanding Your Views and Experiences
We want to understand more about the barriers to cervical screening.
Are you unsure or scared about the procedure itself? Or worried about what it might find?
Is it the logistics or being able to easily book a convenient appointment?
Whatever your point of view, whether you’ve had a screening or not, we want to hear from you.
If you have questions, we want to find you the answers.
If there are things that GP practices can do to make screenings easier, then we want to see if we can do them.
If you are interested in participating in our cervical screening project, please add your name and email address to our sign-up form.
Later in the summer, we’ll send out a survey to get your opinions. The best way to reach as many people as possible is digitally through email and practice websites.
There’s no obligation, and we won’t spam you or share your email addresses with anyone else outside of our Primary Care Network.
All responses will be confidential and private and won’t be matched to your medical records.
After the survey, we’d like to share what we find and ask for your thoughts on any news ideas or suggestions.
In the Autumn, we hope to hold some in-person discussions about cervical screening in more detail. But signing up for our emails or filling out a survey doesn’t obligate you to participate. We’d love to stay in touch with you about this important issue.