Taking Cervical Screening Awareness into Communities Across Greenwich

Every year, thousands of women are invited for cervical screening. Screening is one of the most effective ways of preventing cervical cancer, but not everyone attends when invited. Earlier work carried out by Healthwatch Greenwich on behalf of Greenwich Public Health found that some women from Global Majority communities who had not responded to screening invitations had questions, concerns and practical barriers that made attending more difficult. .

To mark Cervical Screening Awareness Week, Healthwatch Greenwich staff and volunteers took the campaign into communities across the borough between 9 and 25 June 2026. By engaging women in high streets, libraries, train stations and community centres, the campaign reached people where they already spend time. 

Over the course of the campaign, we distributed 1,000 leaflets and spoke with 495 women about cervical screening and local support. 

Conversations revealed that many women were unaware they could request a female practitioner, a smaller speculum or a chaperone during screening. Others highlighted practical barriers such as work, caring responsibilities, difficulties accessing GP appointments, language barriers and uncertainty about the relationship between HPV vaccination and cervical screening.

The campaign demonstrated how community engagement can both raise awareness and generate valuable insight. By listening to women's experiences while sharing trusted health information, Healthwatch Greenwich continues to support public health priorities and improve the way health information is communicated across diverse communities.