This weekend, the 2024 Pride in the City Festival, also known as Northern Pride, will feature a one-of-a-kind health service on Saturday, 20 July.
Staff from Gateshead Health are set to take the mobile cervical screening unit to the festival. On Saturday, 20 July, the unit will be available from 9 am and will be located outside the Newcastle City Council Civic Centre, next to the River God Tyne statue.
Sharon Denise Clark, Joint Lead Clinical Nurse for the service, recently discussed this unique service and the upcoming event with Gilly Hope on BBC Radio Newcastle.
Listen on BBC Sounds to find out more.
Since January 2024, the mobile screening pilot project has significantly progressed, processing around 200 samples so far. This project aims to raise awareness and improve accessibility for individuals facing barriers to screening services.
This unique initiative is powered by support from the Northern Cancer Alliance, NHS England, Roche, and the dedicated local Healthworks team.
Trudy Johnson, Cervical Screening Manager at Gateshead Health, said:
Seven percent of women over 25 have never had a smear test, but this figure rises to 15 percent among lesbian or bisexual women in the same age group, due to common misconceptions around human papillomavirus (HPV) and how cervical cancer develops. Anyone with a cervix is eligible to access free cervical screenings through the NHS by contacting their GP or local sexual health clinic.
Trudy Johnson, Cervical Screening Manager at Gateshead Health
The project introduces innovative approaches to promote awareness about the importance of cervical screening. Last year’s flash mob at the Angel of the North was just one of the unique ways Gateshead Health highlighted this crucial issue.
If you are heading to Pride in the City Festival this coming Saturday, 20 July, be sure to drop by and engage with the service. Even if you are unsure whether you are due for a screening appointment, the NHS screening staff at the festival can double-check that for you.
It’s a great opportunity to take charge of your health and get valuable information about cervical screening.