Around one in three women aged 25 to 64 across the West Midlands are not up-to-date with routine screening to detect cervical cancer, new data shows.
As a result, the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and West Midlands Cervical Screening Service, in partnership with Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland, is running an educational public campaign called “Let’s Talk Cervical Screening.”
The objective is to encourage all women get themselves booked in for a smear test.
The fresh data reveals more than 530,000 eligible women, aged 25 to 64, have not attended their latest appointment.
West Midlands breakdown of women missing cervical screening
| Location | Missing | Location | Missing | Location | Missing |
| Birmingham | 138,220 | Herefordshire | 13,695 | Staffordshire | 60,880 |
| Coventry | 43,786 | Walsall | 22,659 | Worcestershire | 40,880 |
| Sandwell | 34,810 | Telford and Wrekin | 15,001 | Shropshire | 19,505 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 24,120 | Warwickshire | 46,710 | Wolverhampton | 29,034 |
| Dudley | 25,096 | Solihull | 16,244 | TOTAL | 530,640 |
“A high number of eligible women in West Midlands have not had their latest cervical screening, and there is an urgent need to boost uptake rates across the region and help save lives” said Karen Kendall, cytology service lead at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
“Through our campaign, we want to find the millions of individuals across the region who are missing their cervical screening, and we’re calling on all women and people with a cervix to consider getting screened.”
Some of the most common barriers to cervical screening attendance include embarrassment and anxiety, with lack of understanding, concerns about pain, busy schedules, fear of results and misconceptions about relevance also frequently cited.
NHS Pop-up at Brum Christmas Market
As part of the campaign, the NHS team will be attending the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market from 10am to 4pm Saturday, November 1, inviting members of the public to stop by and speak with them about any questions they may have.
Jolande, 36, from Birmingham, is a part of the Let’s Talk Cervical Screening campaign.
“I have an invisible disability, so cervical screening can be very uncomfortable for me, and I’ve even had a hip dislocate during an appointment,” she said.
“I still try to attend my screenings because they’re such an important part of looking after my health. But I know that everyone’s situation is different, and it’s not always easy. It’s really important to talk to your nurse or GP about what might help make the experience more comfortable for you, rather than feeling you can’t go at all.”
Kate Quinney, clinical marketing partner on women’s health at Roche, said: “We are proud to collaborate with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to roll-out this important campaign in the West Midlands.
“Cervical screening can play a vital role in preventing cancer before it develops. I strongly encourage anyone with concerns or questions to visit the team at the Christmas market or explore the online resources available. Taking the step to attend your cervical screening appointment is one of the best ways to prevent cancer.”
