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Nurse-led cervical screening programme a success

Nursing staff at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust can have on-site screening at workplace
Smear test

Nursing staff at a Teesside hospital trust need never miss a cervical smear with a new on-site screening service that fits around shifts.

The nurse-led fast track cervical screening clinic was set up at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to boost numbers of local women taking up their screening appointment.

Screening uptake per GP practice was as low as 50% in some areas of Middlesbrough, compared to a 73.5% England average in 2015.

The service was set up last November and in March was extended to trust members of staff.

Increased access

A total of 48 women took part in a three-month pilot project at the James Cook University Hospital, and all said they would recommend the service to their colleagues.

James Cook University Hospital specialist nurse colposcopist Nicola Liddell said: ‘The cervical screening programme has been shown to reduce mortality, however, screening uptake per GP practice was as low as 50% in some areas of Middlesbrough.

‘This pilot was introduced as an initiative to try to increase the numbers of women in the Middlesbrough area accessing cervical screening services.’

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