A LOCAL GP surgery is putting on extra cancer screening services to deal with a backlog in testing caused by the pandemic.

Balmore Park Surgery, in Caversham, has started Saturday morning clinics for cervical cancer checks and is urging patients to consult their doctor if they have health concerns.

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Testing for cervical cancer was stopped during lockdown but has since restarted and been expanded at the surgery.

Dr Jacqueline Payne said: “This is incredibly important, and we urge people to speak to their doctor if they are worried about potential cancer symptoms or have questions about their health.

“It is equally important that patients attend breast, bowel and cervical cancer testing when invited.”

Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire, is working with local GP surgeries to improve earlier cancer diagnosis rates and cancer screening uptakes.

Nationally, urgent cancer referrals are down 60 per cent due to coronavirus, recent NHS England figures reveal. While breast cancer referrals have fallen almost 80 per cent.

A lack of screening and a sharp drop in patients visiting GP surgeries is driving the decline.

This month the NHS’s Help Us Help You access campaign was launched, backed by celebrities including Emma Thompson and Gordom Ramsey, it will use TV adverts, billboards and social media to urge anyone concerned about cancer to get checked.

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and medical director for primary care in England said: “Whether you or a loved one has a routine appointment, or a potential cancer symptom, our message is clear – you are not a burden, we are here to safely care for you so please don’t delay – help us help you and come forward as you usually would.

“Cancer is easier to treat when it’s caught at an earlier stage and so coming forward for a check could save your life.”

Additional safety measures are now used for all healthcare services at Balmore Park Surgery, including room sanitising between patients and Saturday clinics.

The effort is part of a host of other changes the surgery has made in the way it manages its 21,000 patients.=

For patient and healthcare provider safety, many consultations are now carried out remotely via video or phone calls.

A picture messaging service has also been created for patients to send in photos of conditions and receive medical advice promptly.

Dr Payne stated that the surgery would consider permanently changing the way it dealt with patient queries to improve safety and waiting times for patients in the future.

She said: “We are trying to be positive about some of the things we can take away from this to provide patients with better support”.

However, despite the increase in virtual consultations, the surgery is quick to stress that its face-to-face cancer testing is carried out quickly and safely for patients.

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Dr Payne said: “Our staff have shown immense resilience and hard work throughout the pandemic to continue providing care for patients.

“We are open for patients as usual and trying to get as much cancer screening and routine care done at times when it’s safest for patients.”