Sharing Healthwatch Greenwich’s HPV learning across South London

Blog - 29 January 2026

In December 2025 and January 2026, Healthwatch Greenwich had the opportunity to share learning from our HPV project at two South London system events: the South East London Early Cancer Diagnosis Forum and the ARC South London Knowledge Exchange Event. These conferences brought together clinicians, public health teams, GPs, practice managers, cancer alliance partners and a small number of voluntary and community organisations to explore how cancer prevention and early diagnosis can be improved.
An image for HPV project with peer researchers and young people

A key part of our presentation focused on our peer research and co-production model, which supports young people to contribute safely and confidently to conversations about health and prevention. This helped challenge assumptions about how children and young people engage with topics such as HPV vaccination, and reinforced that effective engagement takes time, sustained relationships and respect for people’s autonomy and decision-making.

There was strong interest from attendees, with questions about how we build trust with communities, how young people are supported to take part, and how similar approaches could be adapted elsewhere. The conversations also reinforced the importance of ethical practice when involving lived experience voices, including clear boundaries, safeguarding and organisational support, so that participation remains positive and sustainable.

We were proud to see the HPV project recognised as a strong example of community-led, equity-focused prevention work, and to help position Greenwich as a place where resident insight is taken seriously in shaping health and care services. We would like to thank the Greenwich Cancer Steering Group, and the South East London Cancer Alliance (SELCA) for commissioning and championing the HPV project Their support has enabled community-led insight from Greenwich to inform wider conversations about cancer prevention and vaccination, and to help ensure that resident voices continue to shape system thinking across South East London.

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