Navigate the toolkit

• Campaign Overview
• Objectives
• Target audiences
• Key messages
• Important links
• Social media
• Resources

About this campaign

The uptake of cervical cancer screening in England is decreasing. Our campaign, which focuses on women’s experiences of cervical screening, offers practical solutions for various stakeholders to help increase cervical screening uptake. 

The campaign also supports NHS England’s ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 by identifying the barriers to screening that people, especially those groups with lower uptake, are facing.

Visit Healthwatch England's website to read our full report.

Find out more

Campaign objectives

• To provide the latest evidence related to cervical screening uptake through data, qualitative research and stories in blogs, the media and social media, focusing on the most at risk groups.  
• To highlight the role of targeted interventions in addressing low cervical screening rates. 
• To raise awareness of the issue and influence local plans to increase cervical screenings.

Who are we targeting?

Key messages 

• Three-quarters of women who are hesitant about cervical screening would use a self-testing kit if it was available for free on the NHS.   
• A poll of 2,444 women highlights that pain, fear, and misconceptions make them hesitant about taking up invitations for cervical screening appointments. 
• Healthwatch England says a more personalised approach to cervical screening will help the NHS meet its ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.  
• Healthwatch calls on the NHS to adopt self-testing, sensitive handling of appointments by screening professionals, drop-in clinics, and increased awareness to boost uptake among all women.   

Social media 

Here are some social media posts that you can use to promote the research in your community and with local stakeholders. Please feel free to adapt any copy to suit your context.

Twitter 

Tweet 1

Today @HealthwatchE launched a campaign to help NHS England meet its ambition to eliminate cervical cancer as screening uptake is dropping. Find out more <ADD LINK> #CervicalScreeningMyWay

Social card (73% of women hesitant about cervical screening would use a self-testing kit if it was available free on the NHS).    

Tweet 2

New research from @HealthwatchE shows pain, fear, and misconceptions make women hesitant about attending cervical screening. Did you know you can ask for adjustments during your appointment? Watch the video #CervicalScreeningMyWay <ADD LINK>

Tweet 3

A more personalised approach to cervical screening will help the NHS meet its ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.  @HealthwatchE set out actions for healthcare leaders #CervicalScreeningMyWay <ADD LINK>

Tweet 4

What would help women attend their cervical screening appointment? The number one priority is having empathetic and sensitive staff. Read women’s views on cervical screening #CervicalScreeningMyWay <ADD LINK>

Social media card (62% women hesitant about cervical screening said sensitivity from healthcare staff about their worries would encourage them to come forward.) 

Tweet 5

We support @HealthwatchE’s calls on the NHS to adopt self-testing kits, sensitive handling of appointments by screening professionals, drop-in clinics, and increased awareness.#CervicalScreeningMyWay <ADD LINK>

Social media card 

("Women's diverse voices and experiences must drive improvements to cervical screening and NHS England's ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.” Louise Ansari, CEO, Healthwatch England) 

Instagram / Facebook post 1

Today Healthwatch England has launched a campaign to help NHS England meet its ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 as screening uptake is dropping. 

We join them in calling for sensitive handling of appointments by screening professionals, drop-in clinics, and increased awareness. We also want NHS England to adopt self-testing kits for cervical cancer to help more women and people with a cervix to get screened. 

#CervicalScreeningMyWay <ADD LINK>

Instagram / Facebook post 2

NHS data shows uptake of cervical screening is dropping. Some women find cervical screening uncomfortable and stressful while some feel embarrassed at undressing in front of a healthcare professional. 

Jennifer told us: “Although I got a reminder letter, I delayed booking my appointment by a year, as I found the last one I went to, around four years ago, really stressful.”   

We’ve put together a video of the things you can ask for before and during your next appointment. 

#CervicalScreeningMyWay

<ADD LINK>

We want to help you get the most out of your marketing and make an impact on your audiences. We've put together some helpful templates you can localise and adapt for your traditional or, digital marketing activities. 

1. Print templates
2. Social media templates
3. Email marketing 

Print and publication resources

• NEW Business card template
• A2/A3 light blue poster template
• A4 "About us" leaflet (dark blue)
• A5 "About us" flyer (for the public)
• A5 "About us" flyer (for professionals)
• Postcard template
• A4 poster templates
• Communications strategy template
• Healthwatch values pledge cards
• Healthwatch values poster

Social media templates

Instagram feed:

• Navy blue/Light blue text card 
• Navy blue quote card
• News and reports carousel
• Overlay curve card for statistics
• Light blue advice and information carousel

Instagram stories:

• Light blue image story card
• Light blue text story card
• Navy blue image story card
• Navy blue text story card

Facebook/Twitter:

• Navy blue text post 
• Navy blue quote card
• Navy blue photo left curve 
• Navy blue photo right curve
• Light blue text post
• Light blue photo left curve
• Recruitment graphic

Email Marketing

• Email headers

In the document below, you will find the questions from our survey. These have been slightly adapted to make them suitable for Healthwatch who may want to use them for a paper survey but are largely the same questions we asked during our research.

Our survey was carried out online using Savanta’s survey platform. Therefore, we were able to use question logic to only show respondents questions relevant to them and filter out people who we did not want to respond. 

Where relevant, we have included alongside question responses the relevant question logic. If you wish to run this as an online survey and are confident using question logic, you can use this to replicate our survey.

About the Healthwatch England media unit 

We are the first point of contact for national media enquiries. We prepare proactive and reactive responses to national issues; draft press releases and blogs; design and deliver national campaigns; recruit and store media case studies; monitor, evaluate and report national media coverage. 

Should we receive requests for comments or interviews from regional and local media outlets eg. a local BBC radio station, we pass the request on to the relevant local Healthwatch to respond to.

We are happy to advise local Healthwatch on media approaches, key messages, and other related issues. There are a number of resources that can help you with PR and media activities. 

Helpful resources 

• Our policy positions can offer the latest lines on various healthcare issues: https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/our-policy-positions
• A variety of communications resources is available on:  https://network.healthwatch.co.uk/resources
• An example of a crisis comms plan is available on: https://network.healthwatch.co.uk/guidance/2021-07-15/risk-and-crisis-communication-plan
• Network newsletter 
• Any significant media coverage is also shared with the network on a regular basis. 

National media outlets 

Should you receive a request for an interview or a comment on a national issue from a national media outlet, do forward it to the national media team to respond to. 

How to get in touch with the national team?  

If you are contacted by a national media outlet or have a question about media/ PR, contact: 

• Anna Galandzij, Media Manager, anna.galandzij@healthwatch.co.uk – Tuesday to Friday 

In her absence, you can direct your queries to: 

• Chris Gorman, Campaigns Manager (Regional), chris.gorman@healthwatch.co.uk or our comms inbox hub@healthwatch.co.uk.

Communications Ambassadors Network (CAN) 

Bi-monthly CAN meetings offer a great opportunity for comms colleagues across the network to come together, share know how, and learn about upcoming national campaigns. Find out more.

Contents

• Background
• What are we doing
• Activity timeline
• Ways to get involved
• Resources

Background

As part of our #ShareForBetterCare campaign, we are launching a national drive to learn about people's eye care experiences.

Eye care is an area where we’re hearing that people are facing long waits and high costs for care. There’s also evidence that eye care and related health issues disproportionately affect specific communities, such as those on low incomes, as well as ethnic minority groups.

That’s why it’s important we understand the eye care challenges people are facing and how to make sure people get timely and affordable access to eye care when they need it. But to do this we need your help.

What are we doing?

On the 29 July 2024, we will launch a survey which aims to:

• Understand people’s experience of accessing eye care locally, as well as the experience of those waiting for secondary care. 
• Uncover what is working but also the barriers people face, like cost. 

We want to hear from everyone, but we especially want to reach: 

• People from ethnic minority communities, including Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian communities. This is because people from these groups are at a greater risk of developing some of the leading causes of sight loss.
• People who may not have a large household income because of the barriers they may face.
• People waiting for secondary care to understand their experience. 

When is this taking place?

• 29 July 2024: We will launch our survey. 
• 29 July – 7 August 2024: The first activity spike will run for one week, focusing on PR and social media channels.
• 2-8 September 2024: The second activity spike will focus on social media and stakeholder outreach.
• 23-29 September 2024: The third and final activity spike will take place during Eye Care Week and focus on community outreach and social media.
• w/c 2 December 2024 (TBC): We will share our local and national findings.

How can you get involved?

We will provide you with communications resources including social media posts and visual assets, an email template, press notice and website story. You can send the press notice to your local press and publish the website story on your local website, to help promote the survey in your area.  

If you use Smart Survey and want a copy of the survey to use locally, please email us to arrange at research@healthwatch.co.uk 

Some content is still in development and will be updated closer to the launch date – so please check back in for new information and resources.

Please contact the Healthwatch England communications team with any questions: hub@healthwatch.co.uk

Ways to get involved?

• Promote the survey. Collect responses from people in your area to help shape our work. 
• Issue a press notice to your local media.
• Publish the news story on your website advertising the survey. 
• Email local optometrist services and community groups asking for support to share the survey.
• Ask your local council and NHS to share resources.
• Post social content or re-share our message.
• Go out into the community during Eye Care Week (23-29 September) to collect people's experiences.

Got a question?

Contact the Healthwatch England communications team for questions about any of the content included in this pack: hub@healthwatch.co.uk

Contact the Healthwatch England research team for questions about the research survey: research@healthwatch.co.uk

About this resource

In the run up to the national Government election, it is critical that all members of the Healthwatch network continue to act in a politically neutral way. This resource aims to give you the information you need to remain impartial during the pre-election period.

This resource includes:

• Important points for you, your board and operational team to consider when it comes to the pre-election period.
• The guidance covers publications, media and social media activity, as well as working in partnership.
• Information on how we will be operating during this period.

Key things to remember

What is the ‘pre-election period of sensitivity’?

This is the period of time before an election when public authorities are limited in what they can do. This is to ensure that they are not seen to favour one political group or interest or seen to compete with election candidates for public attention. 

What this means for you

• All members of the Healthwatch network continue to act in a politically neutral manner.
• You should not undertake any activity that could call into question your politically impartiality or that could give rise to criticism that public resources are being used for political party purposes.
• You will need to carefully consider and make a judgement about the work you have planned for this period. In particular, consider how activity may be perceived in light of campaigning taking place. You should continue to operate as usual and carry out day-to-day activities but be aware of the heightened sensitivity.
• You must not engage in, or advocate for, any party-political activities during this period.
• You should discuss with your board and operational team how you plan to conduct your communications and external engagement during this time. We would also urge your operational team to have a discussion with your local authority commissioner to establish if there will be any specific guidance during this period that the local authority will expect local Healthwatch to comply with.
• There is a shared responsibility across the network to ensure all local Healthwatch act to uphold the reputation of the Healthwatch brand. Therefore, operating in the spirit of the official guidance will help you to avoid compromising your impartiality or reputation.

When does the period of sensitivity start?

The guidance for the general election on 4 July 2024 has been published and comes into effect from 00.01am on 25 May 2024.

This will remain in place until after the election is finished. 

Implications for staff and board members

• Staff and / or board members may be involved in elections as supporters of political groups or as candidates. In these cases, it is important that they ensure that this is done in their own time and that they do not use any Healthwatch resources to support this activity.
• Healthwatch will also need to ensure that they are not used in a way that might be seen as supporting any campaigning activity.
• If any board members or staff are involved in canvassing, careful consideration should be given about their role in any public-facing activity during this period. You should consider whether a different person can take part in the activity or whether it can be postponed until after the election.

It will be important to remind your board members and staff about your code of conduct and / or your conflict of interest policy so that they are clear about their responsibilities.

Consultation and engagement

“Promoting, and supporting, the involvement of people in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of local care services” is a statutory function of Healthwatch and can be continued during this period.

You will need to consider the implications of how this is carried out and may need to adapt your approach to assure that you maintain your impartiality.

Whatever work you are undertaking, it is expected that it should not draw attention away from the election, so you should be careful about how you publicise any engagement activity, even if the subject is not contentious.

Publications

During this period, you may still be undertaking Enter and View visits and you may want to continue to publish reports on those activities. Material that would normally be considered objective and impartial may well be seen as political and attract criticism in these highly sensitive periods, so you should consider each report separately and whether publication can be postponed until after the election.

Annual reports

The statutory requirement for your annual report is “provision requiring each such report to be prepared by 30^th June after the end of the financial year concerned.” 

We therefore recommend that: 

• You prepare and finish your annual report by the 30 June.
• You do not publish, promote, or send out your annual report until after the general election. 

We recommend you get in touch with your local authority commissioners ahead of the deadline to inform them of your approach and let them know the annual report publication will be delayed due to the pre-election guidance and when they can expect to receive it from you. 

Social media

As ever, in your capacity as a Healthwatch representative, be careful not to issue any personal opinions on social media platforms, for example Twitter and Facebook, or make any comments from your Healthwatch account that could lead you into a political debate.

Updating the public with essential factual information may continue but avoid offering additional comment or opinion. Candidates and supporters may ask directly about local Healthwatch’s work, and any comment you make should be purely factual rather than expressing an opinion.

Do not retweet tweets from a political or campaigning organisation that is advocating party political positions, or from a local figure who is standing for election.

Consider removing any applications that share content automatically to your social media channels during the election period.

Paid for social media

The guidance from the cabinet office is that all new campaigns must be postponed, and live campaigns are to be paused across all advertising and marketing channels. 

Media 

It is possible for comments made to the media to be taken out of context or misinterpreted and used in a way that could call into question your political impartiality or that of your local Healthwatch.

If you are contacted during the pre-election period of sensitivity, you should direct journalists to material already in the public domain – such as previous statements or reports that you have released on issues.

Avoid offering additional comment or opinion, and if a journalist asks questions directly about Healthwatch, any comment you make should reflect previously published materials. This will be important if the journalist is fact-checking something said by a candidate, as you may be perceived as being critical of that candidate.

Journalists will often be working on a short timescale and will want a quick response. Don’t be rushed into saying something before you have had time to think about your response. It can be better not to respond at all than being pushed into saying something that does not accurately reflect your views.

Any specific requests for new or unpublished materials should be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

Website content

Updating the public with essential factual information may continue, but blogs or website content that comment on Government policies or proposals should not be updated or published until after the general election. 

Websites and social media channels are likely to be scrutinised closely by news media during the election period. All content published much be carefully considered and stick to facts without offering an opinion, even on topics that are not considered controversial. 

Events

The guidance states that officials should decline invitations to events where they might be asked to respond on questions about future Government policy or matters of public controversy. 

We therefore recommend you carefully consider any speaking engagements your staff or board members attend during the pre-election period. 

Partnerships

Public sector organisations will be aware of the limitations imposed by the period of pre-election sensitivity, but partners from other sectors may not.

Check that any partnership activity that you are associated with takes account of the heightened sensitivity. For example, if a campaigning organisation wants to launch a report that you have collaborated on, you will need to be assured that it will not be seen as supporting a particular political group or candidate either directly or indirectly.

Our approach

We are subject to the guidance issued by the Cabinet Office which applies to all Government departments and arm’s length bodies. 

During this time, we will continue with our day-to-day business of supporting you and taking forward our projects. 

However, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, we will reduce our public-facing activities, including declining invitations to speak at events, pausing all paid digital marketing and media activity. 

We will carefully consider how the work we carry out may be perceived and think through potential implications before carrying out any activity.

Further advice

If you want further guidance, please consult the Cabinet Office guidance for public bodies. The Local Government Association also produces guidance on the pre-election period.

Each year many Healthwatch deliver creative and inspirational activities to mark Volunteers’ Week and recognise their amazing volunteers. Following your suggestions, we've collated some of the best examples in one document.

While this resource focuses on Volunteers’ Week, it could also be applied to International Volunteers’ Day or other local celebrations for our volunteers. We have also included template certificates to recognise attendance or particular achievements/completion of training which you may find useful.  

We would like to say a massive thank you to all those Healthwatch colleagues who helped with suggestions, shared ideas and generally assisted in developing this resource. It's great being part of such a positive collaborative network dedicated to assisting one another!

We've put together some top tips for how you can make the most of the content you've pulled together for your annual report.

1. Showcase it on your website

There are lots of ways that you can make the most of your annual report content on your website, such as:

• Create space on the front page of your website – whether that's in your homepage carousel or under 'News' – to help make sure people will see it.
• Share a snappy article to summarise the key messages from your report, and a clear call to action to hit 'Download' to see the full report.
• Bring out some key stats by creating a graph or infographic to make it visually appealing. 
• Create blogs to showcase the case studies from your report highlighting the difference you've made. 
• Create an impact page to highlight the difference you're making to local services and communities. 

2. Social media

Reuse your annual report messages, stories and content on your social media in the few weeks following the launch of your annual report. You can showcase the work of your volunteers to encourage people to join your team, share the local impact your work has had to get people to speak up, and show how you help people access health and care services. 

3. Email marketing

Emails directly to those on your mailing list to make them aware of the publication will help to raise awareness that you have published your annual report. Include your key statistics and an overview of what they can expect to find in your report.  

4. Look for media opportunities 

All those great stats and case studies are ideal for media opportunities. Whether you're responding to a local event, or hoping to promote your work in the press, case studies will help bring it to life.