Primary Care Network engages volunteer group to improve cervical screening uptake

The number of women who have cervical screening in Lancashire and South Cumbria has been steadily increasing in recent years – although it remains some way short of the national target.

While the ambition is to achieve the benchmark of 80 per cent, some places are well below that figure: uptake in Blackburn with Darwen is 63.1 per cent, and in the Pendle West area particularly, only 52 per cent of 25-50-year-olds (national average is 66 per cent) and 66 per cent of 51-64-year-olds (national average is 75 per cent) attend when invited – the lowest in the region.

However, the reality is even starker when the figures are broken down by ethnicity: national research indicates that only 31 per cent of ethnic minority women attend cervical screenings. Asian women have some of the lowest uptake rates, with cultural and language barriers cited as significant factors. To add to that, the risk of cervical cancer is also higher for Asian women.

Pendle West Primary Care Network (PCN) has been working with volunteer group Pendle West Community Health Champions to address the issue of low uptake and raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening within the local Asian community.

Dr Nicola Finnigan, a GP at Pendle View Medical Centre, and the PCN’s lead for health inequalities, said: “We know that for many women there are reasons why they don’t attend a cervical screening when invited - from worrying about it being painful to simply not being able to find the time. When you also consider the extra cultural and language barriers that Asian women may face, it is not surprising that uptake is relatively low.

“Cervical cancer is largely preventable through regular check-ups, and we want to make sure cancers are detected at the earliest stages. We know that the early cancer is detected the better the outcome because women can be seen and treated quicker.  This means making more people aware of the importance of screening and breaking down some of the barriers to make screening as accessible as possible.”

Pendle Health Champions are volunteers and designated officials focused on improving local wellbeing through community events, mental health support, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

The PCN held sessions with the group, answering questions about the issues and discussing what could be done to address them.

As part of the process, they explored the idea of making a video and the champions were keen to promote the messages and ensure other ladies knew the truth about screenings - also known as ‘smear tests’ - and dispelled the myths around them.

The group worked with a videographer to produce a video to help promote the messages that they felt were important to share with the community, and the video is already being used to promote smears locally via text message, WhatsApp groups and social media. There is a shorter version and Urdu version being produced to ensure accessibility.

Lynn Lockett, a community outreach practitioner with the PCN, said: “Our region has some of the most deprived areas in England, where health inequalities are stark. Combined with cultural barriers, this creates a double disadvantage for BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) women.

“Many Asian women do not speak English fluently, making it harder to understand invitations or medical information, and in some communities women have to ask permission to attend appointments.

“Concerns about pain, modesty, and being examined by male clinicians are also common.  Some women believe that cancer is a matter of fate or punishment and this reduces their sense of the importance of the smear test in spotting cancer early and preventing it. 

“By working with the volunteer champions, we have been able to reach more people to explain the importance of attending and dispel a few myths along the way.”

This spring, a cervical screening bus is visiting the area to offer drop-in appointments and the PCN is utilising the health champions networks and the video to promote these and increase smear uptake.

For more information and to find out about local dates, visit: https://lancashireandsouthcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/cervical-screening-bus