Sector Update April/May 2022 Kia ora koutou Thank you for all you are doing to help support wāhine/whānau to access cervical screening around the country, especially amidst the pandemic. We know that COVID-19 continues having a major impact across cancer screening services, and cervical screening is uniquely impacted. This update provides information on initial approaches to support screening access as part of COVID-19 recovery planning, the implementation of HPV Primary Screening and details on the NCSP Parliamentary Review. As outlined in our last update, our focus is on moving towards a more equitable screening programme. We are asking all screening providers, where possible, to please use any available opportunities to book appointments for patients with a higher clinical risk, preferencing Māori and Pacific, in line with the NCSP prioritisation guidance. With COVID-19 having a major impact across cervical screening services, particularly for Māori and Pacific communities, our collective focus needs to be on ensuring we are actively reaching out to those who are most at risk of developing cervical cancer. This includes wāhine/whānau on annual screens or who have never been screened. As you are working to reach people, remember to share with us and other providers of cervical screening, your highlights, innovations, screening clinic dates, venues (flyers) and anything else you are doing to reach people so others may learn from your ideas and reach out to adapt your ideas to reach their communities or vice-versa. The NCSP are looking at ways we can also support this sharing.
What’s happening in the NCSP •
Cervical Screening Media Campaigns
The Ministry is currently developing two social marketing campaigns in partnership with Māori and Pacific Campaign Advisory Groups to promote a safe return to cervical screening. These have been designed with Māori and Pacific creative agencies and separated out into a Māori and Pacific campaign. They are expected to run once Aotearoa is through the peak of Omicron, with the Māori campaign first to roll out, followed by the Pacific-focused campaign later in the year. This work builds upon the previous campaigns in 2020 and 2021. The NCSP and the Campaign Advisory Groups will look to share these videos with the sector before they go live for the public.