Cancer watch health event

A WOMEN’S health event was held at a Woodley GP practice to encourage patients to be vigilant against cancer.

Alvanley Family Practice runs a range of community events and held this latest evening session at its hub, Startpoint.

The event was born out of a conversation with several of Alvanley’s female patients on the practice’s Facebook page.

Its aim was to raise awareness of women’s cancers and tackle the myths and fears surrounding smear tests and mammograms.

The surgery’s practice nurse Katherine Parker was on hand to give a clinician’s perspective and women who had been diagnosed with cancer shared their experiences.

Those who attended were also asked to make a health pledge, such as booking their smear test or regularly checking their breasts and these were written on postcards and handed in before they left the event.

Practice manager Kay Keane plans to send the postcards back to them in a month’s time to remind them of what they planned to do. Already patients from the night have been booking in for their smear tests as promised.

Practice staff are now planning a series of events and running a poll on Facebook to pick potential topics.

Kay said: “It was a fun event, but it had a vital message behind it. Everyone who came was inspired by it, including the practice staff who went.

“The comments we got from our patients were amazing and it’s given us the impetus to do more.”

To suggest a topic for future events, contact the practice directly, on Facebook at www. facebook.com/ alvanleyfamilypractice or on Twitter using #Alvanleyfp.