A new mobile health hub offering cervical screening is set to visit Wolverhampton, aiming to improve local screening rates which are currently below the national average. The initiative seeks to make smear tests more accessible for eligible women.
Sophie Bagnall, 38, from Ironbridge, was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 29, three and a half years after a normal smear test. Now eight years cancer-free, she underwent a hysterectomy in 2020 and experienced surgical menopause in her early 30s. Bagnall encourages women to have their tests, stating that any discomfort from a smear test is minimal compared to a cancer diagnosis.
The mobile screening van will be at All Saints Area Network on 29 October, WV Active Central on 30 October, and Pure Gym, Birmingham Road, on 31 October and 1 November. NHS England has adjusted the routine screening interval for women aged 25-49 to every five years, aligning with Scotland and Wales.