We know many people find cervical screening a difficult test, and COVID-19 has made it more challenging for some. We have developed some tips to help you communicate with and support your patients through cervical screening at the moment.

To further our work in understanding the impact of COVID-19 on cervical screening, we conducted an online survey of 2,000 women aged 25-64 living in England and spoke to an additional 22 through one to one interviews and focus groups. Carried out during June and July 2020, we asked those taking part in the research how they felt about attending cervical screening in light of the pandemic.

At the Christie Hospital in Manchester, staff tried to keep things as normal as possible for their patients when the coronavirus pandemic started. Helen, a Macmillan gynaecology clinical nurse specialist (CNS), talks to us about what cancer treatment looks like right now.

Our Helpliner, Hannah, shares some of the common conversations she’s having with people right now and some of the guidance she shares with callers. This is part of our “How it works now” series, aiming to help you navigate how our healthcare system works at the moment.

One common question we are asked is what to expect when going for cervical screening at the moment. We’ve spoken with Jenny, Debra and Tracey who are all nurses about what their GP practice is doing, to give you an idea of the measures that you could see and help you to prepare any questions.

This is part of our “How it works now” series, aiming to help you navigate how our healthcare system works at the moment.

“What do I do right now if I’m having symptoms? Can I still see my GP? Am I wasting their time?”

A lot has changed due to the coronavirus crisis, but some things stay the same - this includes your GP’s role. They’re your first point of contact for anything that is concerning you. You might have to contact them in a different way, with lots of appointments being carried out on video or the phone, but the outcome should be the same.

I am addressing this to everyone working in our NHS, in public health, in social care. Whether you work in a laboratory, general practice, a hospital or are supporting any aspect of our health and care system in your home - I want to thank you and say the team at Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust are right beside you.

Self-isolation and social distancing were terms many of us couldn’t define a few weeks ago, now they’re our way of life– a ‘new normal’. Staying in and avoiding other people is the best thing we can do to slow down the spread of Covid-19, but for many people getting used to it is really tough. It can be harder to look after your mental health if your usual coping strategies are no longer available to you. 

Your world might have changed, but we haven’t. In this series, we talk about the impact coronavirus might have on your life and how to manage it.

The sudden changes to how we are living our lives can be hard to comprehend. Advice and restrictions change daily as we learn more about coronavirus. It can feel all-consuming at times. Keeping up, as well as trying to interpret what it means for us, can be extremely difficult.