NHS England South West and Sirona care & health have launched suite of new videos to help people with learning disabilities better understand the importance of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and cervical screening.

Created in partnership with actors from Misfits theatre group, a social theatre group for people with learning disabilities, the aim of the films is to provide clear, step-by-step explanations of the process of screening to help people with learning disabilities know what to expect.

Cervical screening is offered to women and people with a cervix (including trans, non-binary and intersex people) aged 25 to 64. The screening process checks for the presence of high-risk HPV, which if left untreated may lead to cervical cancer. While cervical screening saves approximately 5,000 lives a year, one third of eligible people do not come forward for their screening and this rate is even higher for people with a learning disability.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is offered to all men in the year they turn 65. It is recommended for anyone assigned male at birth, including men, trans women and non-binary people. People will only have a AAA screening test once, unless an aneurysm is found and finding an abdominal aortic aneurysm reduces the chance of it bursting (rupturing), which can be life threatening. Despite this, almost 1 fifth of eligible men, including those with a learning disability, do not come forward for their screening appointment.

Increasing access to screening is a vital part of the 10 year plan with the aim to prevent sickness by diagnosing people earlier, and achieving better health outcomes.

Dr Matthew Dominey, Consultant in Public Health and Screening and Immunisation Lead for NHS England South West said: “Screening saves lives and it is important that everyone who is eligible for a screening programme feels comfortable and confident when attending their appointment.

“It is important that healthcare information is clear and understandable for all, and we hope these videos will support people with learning disabilities to feel informed and  able to make their own decision when it comes to their health and sickness prevention.”

Mary Lewis, Chief Nurse and Allied Health Officer at Sirona care & health said: “Accessible resources like this wonderful set of videos, co-produced by Sirona, NHS England and the Misfits theatre company, are vital to making access to health services fair and equitable for all our communities.

“They will be a valuable tool in helping Sirona care and health, Learning Disability Health teams and many other partners across the South West support uptake of cervical and AAA screening by providing the information people need to make an informed choice and preparing them for what will happen during their appointment.

“I am delighted that we and many others will now be able to add them to our library of resources designed to make health services more accessible. They reflect our commitment to understanding peoples’ needs, reducing inequalities and putting people at the heart of everything we do. It is important we all use these resources to enable a greater understanding of why this screening is so important for individuals and enable people to access it in a timely way.”

NHS England South West, Sirona care & health and actors from the Misfits Theatre Company worked together to design and script these videos in a way that aims to help people with learning difficulties understand the screening process and feel confident making decisions about their own health.

Elena Kusheva, Treatment Room Nurse at The Orchard Medical Centre, Bristol, who took part in the videos, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the filming process, but what truly stood out was the script – it has been incredibly helpful in my practice. I’ve quoted it to many patients with learning disabilities, and it allowed them to understand the process clearly and give informed consent.”

Actors from Misfits Theatre Company also shared their thoughts on being part of the filming process:

Claire: “I found filming the cervical screening film really useful and important for those who have learning disabilities to have more understanding.”

Beth: “It was a great film to educate people with learning disabilities about AAA and cervical screening.”

Rachael: “I enjoyed being part of the filming. It is important to talk about it to help people understand and learn about it.”

The suite of videos for both cervical and AAA screening are now available to watch on the NHS England South West YouTube channel and will be shared with healthcare professionals to improve healthcare experiences for people with learning disabilities across the South West.

For more information on AAA screening and cervical screening, visit the NHS website on screening.