HEALTH officials in Somerset have helped to create a film to give information to women with learning disabilities about the importance of having smear tests.

The Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has joined up with Public Health England and the charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to create the film targeted for women with mild and moderate learning disabilities and those that support them.

The Smear Test Film is an educational film that aims to help people understand more about screening and its role in preventing cervical cancer. Crucially, the film was made with women from the target audience who were able to talk from their own experience.

Dr Rachel Menday, who heads up Somerset Partnership’s Better Health Team which worked on the film, said: “Women with learning disabilities often don’t attend national screening programmes as much as the general population so we wanted to design a resource to support people to  make an informed choice about whether or not to attend their cervical screening appointment.

“The film was designed with and for women with learning disabilities. We worked together with JUMPcuts, a film company with lots of experience in making films with and for people with learning disabilities, to enable women to share their own stories of going for screening.”

Dr Menday added: “We want as many women as possible to view this film so they can think about the importance of going for screening and book themsleves in for an appointment.”

Chief executive of the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Edward Colgan, has congratulated everyone involved with the Smear Test Film.

“This project is so important because it was made by women with learning disabilities for other women with learning disabilities about a very important issue,” he said. “I wish the Smear Test Film every success in reaching as many people as possible and encouraging women to go for screening.”

The Smear Test Film is available to view for free on the Jo’s Trust website click here or copies can be purchased from the website at a cost of £3.