Visitors to the Angel of the North on Saturday may have been surprised to see a flash mob break out.
The event was held at the sculpture at midday as part of an ongoing public awareness campaign called Let’s Talk Cervical Screening. The campaign aims to educate women in Gateshead and the surrounding areas about HPV and cervical screening - also known as a smear test - as well as helping alleviate any concerns when it comes to booking an appointment.
In Gateshead, the latest NHS data shows that nearly 28,000 women between the ages of 24-49 years, and more than 10,000 between the ages of 50-64 years, are not up to date with their cervical screening. These figures are in line with the latest national figures from the Department of Health and Social Care which show nearly 30% of women and people with a cervix aged between 25 and 64 years are not up to date with their cervical screening.
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Trudy Johnson, NEY Cervical Screening Manager, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: "Through our flash mob and ongoing Let’s Talk Cervical Screening campaign, we are calling on women and people with a cervix to get screened. A high number of eligible women and people with a cervix in Gateshead have not had their latest cervical screening, and we want to find those individuals across the region who are missing their appointments. There is an urgent need to boost our screening rates across the region as we know screening helps to save lives.”
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.
As part of the wider campaign, educational leaflets and posters can be found in GP practices throughout Gateshead. A campaign website has been built providing credible information, together with a film containing open and honest discussions about cervical screening. Women in Gateshead might have seen the campaign in their Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Sharon Denise Clark, Joint Colposcopy Service Lead at NHS England said: "I’m so excited to have developed and to be part of this flash mob which is aimed at raising awareness among women and people with a cervix about the importance of attending their cervical screening.
"It’s such a fantastic opportunity to enhance public understanding of women’s health, combining two passions that are extremely close to my heart – dancing and cervical screening. We need to dispel the myths around cervical screening and break down apprehensions, and this is a great and fun way of communicating these messages”.
The flash mob, which was announced by Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland, was staffed by a qualified NHS nurse to hand out information and answer any questions people may have had.
Samantha Dixon, Chief Executive, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust added: "There is a broad and complex range of reasons why women and people with a cervix do not attend their cervical screening. The flash mob organised by the team at NHS Gateshead is a creative way to remind of the importance of the test and share information that can help reduce some of the anxieties that exist.”
