Spectrum Community Health CIC is delighted to have been shortlisted for the Nursing Times Awards 2022!
We’re thrilled to be joining the other Nursing Times finalists in two categories this year:
- Nurse of the Year
- Nursing in the Community
Spectrum has been shortlisted for our innovative Cervical Screening Programme in HMP Styal, which has increased uptake of screening among prisoners from around 63% (in 2020) to over 92% in 2022. Supported by our Nurse Practitioner, Nicola Robinson, and Health Promotion Lead Jo Harwood, our nurses in Styal have carried out over 400 screenings. They have also established a ‘Butterfly Board’ where patients can share their experiences and used a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to encourage reluctant women.
This project supports patients to ask questions and builds in 1:1 time to alleviate their fears around cervical screening – one of the biggest public health priorities in England. In the community, only around 70% of eligible women attend regular screening – and in a prison setting, that number is much lower.
Many women cite awkwardness, embarrassment or fear of pain as reasons for not attending. Nicola Robinson, Nurse Practitioner, wanted to change this and had the specialist skills to provide cervical screening on-site, supported by our wider healthcare team. She developed the Butterfly Project with key aims:
- To change the culture of fear surrounding cervical screening
- To boost uptake to at least 90% of all eligible patients
- To encourage Prison partners, Governors and staff to support the project
Spectrum’s team will face the Nursing Times judging panel in September before heading to the prestigious ceremony in London later this year.
