A LIFE-SAVING public health campaign has been launched in a bid to encourage women to attend cervical screening appointments - after figures revealed more than 16,000 Barnsley residents are not up to date.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week has resulted in a fresh push from medics, who are aiming to address misconceptions about screening and break down barriers as to why women opt against attending.

Although uptake in Barnsley is now better than it is for England as a whole, the latest figures show around a third of those eligible - 16,599 - did not take up the offer.

Women aged 25 to 49 receive invitations every three years, while those aged 50 to 64 are advised to attend check-ups every five years.

When cervical cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 91 per cent but when it is diagnosed after it has spread to nearby tissues, organs, or regional lymph nodes, the five-year relative survival rate drops to 60 per cent.

Trudy Johnson, a cervical screening manager for the NHS, said: “A high proportion of the local population are not up to date with their cervical screening and there is an urgent need to boost uptake rates.

“To mark Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we want to find the thousands of individuals across the region who are missing their cervical screening and encourage them to get checked.

“Our campaign addresses common questions or concerns with a view to breaking down barriers.”

Some of the most common barriers to cervical screening attendance include misunderstanding that the test is for cervical cancer when it is not, Trudy added.

“It is not a test for cancer, it is a test to help prevent cancer,” she said.

“The dread of getting bad news or thinking you would rather not know if you had cancer are further reasons some don’t go.

“In addition, not having time, not prioritising, or having had a bad experience with cervical screening in the past have been found to make people hesitant, as well as embarrassment.

“In some communities, cancer isn’t talked about and is often still seen as a taboo subject.

“Addressing these challenges through education and support is crucial to improving participation and ensuring early detection of potential health issues.”

Last year the NHS pledged to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 by making it as easy as possible for people to get the life-saving HPV vaccination and increasing the screening uptake by allaying women’s concerns over the procedure.

Dr Steph Edgar, GP and clinical lead for the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance, added: “We understand that people invited for a smear test often go through a range of emotions and find reasons not to book or attend for an appointment.

“But there is a wealth of information available about what to expect during the screening procedure and how to prepare for it, not only by talking to your GP or practice nurses, but also by listening and talking to others through support groups, online forums and blogs, to hopefully help quell people’s fears.

“It’s so important for people to book and keep their appointments when invited as screening helps to save around 5,000 lives a year.”