Emmerdale 'preventable illness' warning for millions of women
A women's health charity is urging people to get tested
A women's health charity has issued a reminder to get tested after a heartbreaking soap storyline. Emmerdale has seen teenager Sarah Sugden (played by Katie Hall) given life-changing news following hospital tests.
Her diagnosis of cervical cancer spearheads Emmerdale's most recent emotive storyline, which affects around 3,300 women every year in the UK. Cervical cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women between 30-34 years old, however, it can occur at any age, and the storyline highlights the importance of early detection and symptom awareness. In 2023-24, 5.12 million women in England aged between 25-64 were due a Cervical Cancer Screening, however only 3.25 million women were tested. The Lady Garden Foundation, is on a mission to significantly reduce the number of missed appointments through education, open conversation and research alongside The Royal Marsden Hospital.
Almost half of women are intentionally putting off important cervical screenings despite 83 per cent also saying they believe they prevent cervical cancer, according to independent research commissioned by the foundation. Research conducted by the charity uncovered that embarrassment was the leading factor as to why cervical screenings were being purposely skipped, with more than one in ten claiming they have put it off due to forgetting to wax or shave beforehand.
The NHS cervical screening programme offers testing to women between the ages of 25 and 64. More than five million women are invited for cervical screening each year in England. Approximately 1 in 20 women will have an abnormal screening result meaning high risk HPV is detected in the sample. This does not mean that all women with an abnormal test will develop cervical cancer. Early treatment and increased monitoring can prevent these cervical changes from developing into cancer. Co-founder and Chair of The Lady Garden Foundation Jenny Halpern Prince MBE said: 'The latest storyline in Emmerdale is an authentic portrayal of the journeys many women face each year in the UK and will hopefully spark national conversation, encouraging women to be made aware of the symptoms and the preventative measures to take to protect themselves and their loved ones. "It's vital that mainstream soaps like Emmerdale tackle these real life issues, opening up the dialogue to make people aware of the symptoms and benefits of early detection.
'We set up the Lady Garden Foundation in 2014 to help fund groundbreaking research into the five gynaecological cancers. Over the last 10 years, the foundation has grown as we aim to educate women and girls of all ages to understand the signs of gynae cancers whilst breaking the taboos.' John Butler, Consultant Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon at The Royal Marsden and Medical Director of The Lady Garden Foundation said: 'Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable due to vaccination in school-age children and regular attendance at the screening programme. It is unlikely that women will develop cervical cancer if they have had their vaccination and regularly attend for cervical screening. If they develop abnormal symptoms such as bleeding after intercourse, bleeding between the periods, pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding after menopause, it's important to get checked out as these can indicate there is a problem. "If women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, they will be managed by a group of highly trained professionals who will review the biopsy, arrange appropriate scans and plan the best treatment. The cancer team and specialist nurses are points of contact to help you every step of the way. Please encourage all women to attend for their cervical screening and those between 11 and 25 attend for HPV vaccination. "The good news is that if we can increase vaccination and screening attendance rates cervical cancer could be eradicated in the future.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Last chance for spring Covid-19 booster jab in Surrey
The NHS in Surrey is reminding those who are eligible to get their spring Covid-19 boosters before the seasonal campaign ends in later this NHS says uptake in the latest round of boosters has been low, with just 49% of people eligible in Surrey having received their most recent booster eligible for the booster are adults aged 75 and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and individuals with weakened immune booster provides "vital protection against different strains of the Covid-19 virus" and helps to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospital admissions, the NHS says. Dr Charlotte Canniff, Surrey GP and joint chief medical officer at Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board, said: "It is not uncommon to see less people come forward for their booster over the spring and summer months."However, Covid-19 is still circulating, and it is important that vulnerable people are protected so that their risk of becoming seriously unwell is reduced."Appointments are available at pharmacies and GP practices across the county, with walk-in appointments also offered at various campaign ends on 17 June.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Aspiring dentist who fled Taliban builds new life in Glasgow
Shakiba Azim, who left her home country four years ago, is now working towards her dream career by volunteering at NHS Golden Jubilee. She said: "When I came here, I realised I finally had the freedom and the right to follow my dream." 'Back in Afghanistan, I was offered a place at university to study dentistry, but it was too far from home and, as a girl without a male relative, I wasn't allowed to go." "Volunteering at NHS Golden Jubilee has been my way of starting again and working towards that goal.' In 2021, Shakiba was working as a journalist. This placed her family at significant risk when the Taliban came back to power. They fled the country for Pakistan before applying for a humanitarian visa to the UK, eventually settling in Glasgow. She said: "I lost everything overnight. "Because of my job, my family and I were at risk. "We escaped to Pakistan and applied for a visa. "After two years, we arrived in the UK." "I remember Googling it and being nervous about the Scottish accent, but when we got here, we found the people so kind and helpful. "I fell in love with Scotland." Shakiba is now building a new future in the country she calls home, where she lives with her mother and younger sister. Her sister is also an outpatient support volunteer in the radiology department at NHS Golden Jubilee. Both are completing English language courses to help them begin their next step into higher education. In a few weeks, they will move on to new science-based courses at college. Shakiba said: "We're working hard to build our future. 'Volunteering has been a great experience. "Everyone has been so supportive and kind. "I'm so grateful to be part of this team. "Volunteering here has helped me develop skills, build my confidence, and understand how healthcare works in Scotland. "It's also shown me how much I enjoy helping people.' "This country gave me a second chance. "I want to stay here and give something back.' As part of Volunteer Week 2025, NHS Golden Jubilee is recognising the contributions of its volunteers. The NHS board, which has 50 volunteers in various patient care support roles, has signed Volunteers Scotland Volunteer Charter. It is committed to being a Volunteer Charter Champion to recognise and celebrate the dedication of its volunteers. NHS Golden Jubilee has signed the Volunteers in Scotland Volunteer Charter to commit to celebrating its volunteers (Image: NHS Golden Jubilee) Maureen Franks, volunteer manager, said: "Volunteers like Shakiba are at the heart of our volunteering community. "Her story is inspiring, showing the power of resilience, and we are proud to support her journey and are lucky to have her as part of Team Jubilee. Tosh Lynch, head of Spiritual Care and Volunteer Services, said: 'As an organisation, we understand that our volunteers support us to enhance the patient and visitor experience through a variety of services such as Pastoral Care and Patient Peer Support. 'By providing quality, safe, effective, and person-centred care our volunteers play an important role in enhancing the hospital experience for every patient or visitor and in shaping future services.' More information on how to become a volunteer at NHS Golden Jubilee can be found on the hospital's website.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
New ambulances to deliver faster care to East of England patients
The East of England will receive 29 new ambulances to help deliver faster emergency care for new ambulances will replace ageing vehicles in the organisation's fleet by March than £4.5m will be invested in the new vehicles for the East of England Ambulance Trust as part of a nationwide Secretary Wes Streeting said the vehicles would "make a real difference to patients". The rollout follows the government's new package of investment and reforms to improve patients' experiences of urgent and emergency care this year. This included caring for more patients in the community, rather than in by about £450m of funding, the plan aimed to deliver about 40 new Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment also aimed to create up to 15 mental health crisis assessment centres so patients can avoid waiting in A&E for hours for 500 new ambulances will be provided to services said: "These 29 new ambulances will make a real difference to patients in the East of England, replacing old and tired vehicles and getting to patients in minutes, rather than hours."We can't fix more than a decade of underinvestment and neglect overnight. But through the measures we're setting out today, we will deliver faster and more convenient care for patients in emergencies." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
