The North Central London Cancer Alliance is running a new local campaign in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington to encourage people who have symptoms that may be suggestive of cancer to contact their GP practice. Working in collaboration with the North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group and public health teams, the campaign also aims to increase the number of people taking part in screening for breast, bowel or cervical cancer when invited.
If you have any of the following symptoms:
You should contact your GP practice to arrange a check.
It may be nothing serious – in fact more than 9 out of 10 people are not diagnosed with cancer.
However, finding cancer early makes it more treatable.
That’s why it’s also important to take part in routine cancer screening when invited.
The way you make an appointment may have changed, but your GP practice is open for check-ups and screenings and healthcare professionals are available to see you safely.
Watch the video here to find out more about why early contact with your GP is important.
Sam Jukes-Adams, a Haringey resident, received her cervical screening invitation letter in May 2020 but she ignored it for a while as she thought that it was best not to take up the NHS’s time and she was nervous about attending her GP practice in the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But then I got the reminder letter and I thought I need to make sure I don’t become part of the problem. When I did go for my cervical screening, apart from the nurse being in a gown and wearing a mask and visor, the experience was exactly the same as my previous tests.
“In truth the person who is going to suffer from delaying cervical screening and then finding out that there’s something amiss, is you.”
Sam attended her cervical screening appointment in August 2020 and her results were all clear.
