Reaching the 30%: Uptake and Access to Cervical Screening in Primary Care – CPD Discussion
18 Jun 2025, 13:00 - 14:00
Choose event information:
Cervical screening is a critically important part of improving the health and wellbeing of women, however the numbers accessing screening tests are continuing to decline, for a wide range of reasons.
Women continue to die each year from cervical cancer, despite it being preventable and treatable, often because it has not been diagnosed early. Current statistics reveal that over 30% of women eligible for screening are not accessing this service.
RCN and The Eve Appeal would like to better understand the opportunities and the barriers in primary care to improving uptake of this important screening test and would like to discuss this with nurses working in general practice settings.
The seminar will provide an overview of the recent RCN Publication on RCN Cervical Screening for Physically Disabled Women and Autistic Women, as well as an introduction to The Eve Appeal, before engaging in a discussion about how we can all help to improve access and uptake of cervical screening in primary care settings.
Agenda
Presentation 1: (Ruth Bailey) Uptake and Access to cervical screening (Including update on RCN Cervical Screening for Physically Disabled Women and Autistic Women publication.)
Presentation 2: (Helen Hyndman and Tracie Miles), Introduction to Eve Appeal, and ongoing work with JCCT legacy/volunteers, moving into positive and not so positive stories from those who contact Eve Appeal. Will there be something from the Eve Appeal – Expert Consensus Statement Launch Event: Turning the Tide: Tackling Inequalities and Barriers in Cervical Screening - to share as well?
Group Discussion: How can uptake and access to cervical screening be improved?
Speaker Bios
Helen Hyndman, MBE, a former assistant director of nursing, Helen now leads The Eve Appeal’s Ask Eve nurse information service. The Eve Appeal is the leading gynaecological cancer charity. Our aim is to prevent gynae cancers from developing in the first place, but if they do develop, we want to make sure they’re detected early so more people survive their diagnosis. To make our goals a reality, we fund medical research, educate people about gynae cancers, and provide free, expert information and advice.
Tracie Miles currently practices as Associate Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the NHS SW Genomic Medicine Service Alliance. With over four decades of experience which has focused in the main on gynaecology , specifically oncology , with 28 years as a gynae-onc CNS, complimented by a senior role in cancer genomics within the new NHS services. Tracie is a member of various all party parliamentary committees, NICE specialist committees looking at women’s health, is a Cochrane reviewer and is published nationally/ internationally on gynae cancers and genomics. Tracie is a senior lecturer at the University West of England, her passion for translating knowledge, advances in science into practice is satisfied in her role as Information Nurse Consultant to the Eve Appeal, Gynaecology Cancer Research Charity.
Ruth Bailey is Chair of the RCN Women's Health Forum and is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in sexual health working in Primary Care. She is a BMS accredited menopause specialist, LARC fitter and Faculty Registered Trainer and also serves as the nurse representative on the FSRH council. Ruth is a passionate about addressing inequities in women's health and has contributed to a broad range of publications, resources and campaigns and in 2022, was awarded the title of Queen's Nurse.
Megan King
Megan.king@rcn.org.uk
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Page last updated - 23/04/2025
