Trust pledges support for smear test campaign

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is supporting the Time to Test campaign of charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.

The campaign is asking employers to give female colleagues time to attend potentially life-saving screening appointments, if they cannot outside of working hours.  

Helen Houghton, the health trust’s health and wellbeing lead, said: “If our female members of staff are unable to get an appointment outside of working hours, we have committed to finding a way to make sure they can attend even if this means doing so during their working day.

“Signing up to the campaign reinforces our commitment to promote the importance of screening and will ensure our employees don’t feel there are barriers in place that stop them from attending all-important screening appointments.”

Women aged between 25 and 49 are invited every three years for cervical screening and five years if aged between 50 and 64. Women who have missed their cervical screening appointment are encouraged to contact their local GP to book an appointment.

More information is available at fearorsmear.dbh.nhs.uk.