NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin supports charity to help make cervical cancer a thing of the past

To mark Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (23 -29 January), NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin are encouraging women and people with a cervix to check they know what symptoms to look for, and to make sure they have had their regular screening test.

National charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is leading the call to work towards a future where cervical cancer is a thing of the past.  Every day in the UK there are nine new diagnoses and two women will lose their lives, with cervical cancer now the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide.

Across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, 75% of eligible people took up the offer of screening last year, down 1% from the year before.  NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is working closely with partners across the area to tackle health inequalities and ensure that every person can access high quality services.

Dr Charlotte Hart, GP at Radbrook Green Surgery in Shrewsbury, said: “People can often be hesitant about coming forward for screening, which is completely understandable.  However screening can prevent around 75% of cervical cancers, which may end up saving your life.

“You can also protect yourself by knowing the symptoms of cervical cancer and if you spot anything that you are worried about, please contact your GP immediately.”

 All women who are registered with a GP are invited for cervical screening every three years between the ages of 25-49 and every five years between the ages of 50-64. Women over 65 are only invited if they haven’t been screened since the age of 50 or if they have recently had an abnormal test.

School children are also offered the HPV vaccine to protect them against the human papillomavirus, which can cause cancers including cervical cancer.

Full details of the NHS cervical screening programme can be found on the NHS Choices website at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening.