Islington residents give mostly positive feedback on cancer screening services
I find it really helpful that I get a letter every three years to remind me to make an appointment. It's good that they check regularly - sometimes you fret.
This year we have been asking people about their experiences of the screening services that help diagnose cancer, or risk of cancer, earlier and improve the likelihood of successful treatment.
So far, 74 people have shared their views with Healthwatch. 48 people have completed our online survey and 26 people have spoken to us face-to-face at our engagement events. Of these, 46 gave feedback on cervical screening, 29 on breast screening, and 15 on bowel cancer screening.
What did people tell us?
While some people told us how they felt about their screening experiences, others simply told us what happened without expressing any particular sentiment. So far, most people who have shared their feelings feel positive about screening services.
23 people felt positive, 6 had mixed feelings, and 4 shared negative experiences.
This comment, from a woman we spoke to in Chapel Market about cervical screening, feels fairly typical in that many of the people we spoke to saw the value in screening services, but some told us they experienced either anxiety, embarrassment, or discomfort.
"For me, it's OK because I have got used to it. At first, I was embarrassed. The second time [my result] was abnormal. Every year, I was invited back until they were sure everything was OK. It is good that they do that."
What is most important to people, when considering whether their screening experience has been good or bad?
- The level of friendliness/politeness/professionalism of NHS staff was the most commonly mentioned factor.
- People also considered whether information relevant to the screening process was well communicated - most importantly during the appointment itself, but also beforehand and afterward.
- Pain - if the screening process was painful, this could negatively affect how the service was viewed.
- Accessibility - this has been mentioned with regard to breast screening in particular. Women told us that their nearest breast screening services were far away. Long travel times or unfamiliar journeys are difficult for people with caring responsibilities or travel-related anxiety. A number of people said that they valued the convenience of the home testing kit for bowel cancer screening, as this meant there was no need to travel at all.
- Quality of care more broadly (not pain-related)
- Receiving a timely invitation.
Why do some people not attend?
Not everyone who gets invited for a screening appointment decides to attend:
- We heard from a rape survivor who told us that she didn't attend her cervical screening appointment because the standard service was not trauma-informed and she would instead choose to go to My Body Back. The My Body Back Project offers a range of healthcare services for people who've experienced sexual violence.
- On cervical screening, one respondent told us that she didn't feel the need to attend because she was no longer sexually active. Another felt strongly that more comfortable, home swab alternatives that 'you can undertake with dignity' were available, and should be offered.
- One survey respondent told us that she didn't attend her breast screening because she checked herself and 'that is enough for me'.
What would make it easier for people to attend?
"What would make it easier? Female staff guaranteed... Being able to choose the position and put the speculum in myself. Not having to lie on my back."
- home swabs for cervical screening so women can do the test themselves at home
- 'an option to be asleep or anaesthesia' for cervical screening
- breast screening services based in Islington
What is Healthwatch doing next?
Working with our partners, we are gathering views on screening services from residents who don't have English as a first language. Once we've heard from these residents, we will put everything we've learned together into a report and share it with the people who design our cancer screening services. If you've used cancer screening services and would like to share your views on what works well and what could be improved, we'd love to hear from you.
