Cancer screening service delivers equality of care for prisoners
Women in prison under the care of NHFT are being supported to get better access to potentially life-saving cancer screening - thanks to the determination and dedication of healthcare colleagues.
In the UK there are around 3,300 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed every year, and it is most common in women aged 30 to 34. Cervical screening helps to prevent cancer by detecting the early signs - so it's vital that all women are screened regularly, whether
they are out in the community or in prison.
NHFT took over as healthcare provider at HMP Peterborough in 2023 but staff shortages and logistical problems led to a backlog of women overdue their screening in the prison.
Recognising the need to address this problem urgently, healthcare colleagues worked closely with a local GP practice to train two nurses in cervical screening.
Now fully trained and qualified, Jodie Salt and Katie Simpson have worked tirelessly to clear the backlog and an effective cervical screening service is now established at the prison.
They operate from a fully equipped women's health clinic on site with a system now in place for seeing new arrivals and those who are recalled for screening.
So far the pair have managed to screen more than 60 patients who were on the waiting list, with 30 more eligible women identified who would like a test from a prison population of 300.
The service ensures women at HMP Peterborough are receiving the same standard of care as they could expect outside of prison in the community.
Jodie said: "The new cervical screening service at HMP Peterborough has already been a huge success in a short space of time.
"We have reduced a long waiting list, helping to support earlier detection and making a real difference to the health of the women in our care.
"Being part of this work has been really exciting, and we're looking forward to continuing to spread awareness and encouraging more women to attend through our ongoing health promotion efforts."
Katie added: "It has been exciting to be part of a successful project that has offered us the chance to contribute to the health and wellbeing of our patients.
"We are currently running one to two clinics specifically for screening per month and we have an awareness week coming up in January, when we are hoping to identify more eligible patients for screening."
In a further boost for healthcare services at HMP Peterborough, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a recent inspection at the site and found that all services are meeting regulations.
The CQC does not issue ratings for prison healthcare but just states if they are meeting regulations or not.
The latest inspection report highlights the improvement made by healthcare colleagues at the prison over the last year.