Karen Hobbs

The Eve Appeal

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in November 2014, when I was 24.

I now spend my time performing stand-up comedy about my experience and  working for The Eve Appeal, a charity dedicated to raising awareness and funds for research into earlier detection and prevention of the five gynaecological cancers.

I’m trying to spread the message about gynaecological health as widely as possible and hopefully with humour. I have written articles for The Independent, The Huffington Post, iPaper and The Telegraph.

I have been by BBC Radio 1, Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, Radio 5 Live, Sky News, London Live and The Evening Standard, taking every opportunity to talk about signs, symptoms and squash the stigma that surrounds cervical cancer.

I didn’t know anything about cervical cancer or gynaecological health in general until my diagnosis. We need to educate ourselves about our own bodies. If we don’t know what is normal for us, then how can will we notice when something changes?

Dr Neil Smith

GP and cancer lead, East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group

Neil has been a G.P. in Blackburn for 24 years.  He has always had a portfolio career and was previously Associate Dean at Manchester Medical School. He is currently a partner in a busy practice, a G.P. appraiser and trainer as well as stadium doctor for Blackburn Rovers.  He has cancer roles for CCGs, Cancer Alliance, CRUK, RCGP and UCLan.

In 2015, he won the National Macmillan Excellence in Innovation Award for Cancer.  In 2016 he and the team he leads won the HSJ National Patient Safety Award for Cancer. Neil was RCGP NW GP of the year in 2017 and was nominated as a local health hero for the NHS 70 awards 2018.

Dr Smith has a particular interest in improving uptake in cancer screening and the earlier diagnosis of cancer. He has been working on ⋕25itstimeproject to support more young women have their first smear. He has recently launched the “Lets Talk Cancer” campaign.

Outside work he coaches a youth football team.  He is a keen swimmer, cyclist and runner and is the current and four time NHS senior triathlon champion.

Kath Lewis

Screening and Immunisation Coordinator

I qualified as a nurse 25 years ago and have worked in women’s health ever since, first on a gynaecology ward in Manchester and then as a midwife and sexual health nurse.

I have been a cervical sample taker for around 15 years and have seen many changes in the programme.

I now work in the Public Health commissioning team in NHS England and have a lead area in the cervical screening programme both in the delivery in GP practices and sexual health, the laboratory and the colposcopy services who provide treatment to women.

I am very passionate about improving the knowledge that young women in particular have around cervical screening, to enable them to be informed about attending for screening and to reduce inequalities in screening. I am involved in a number of national workstreams around cervical screening and HPV.

Away from work I am a busy mum of 2 teenage daughters – one at university and one currently sitting her GCSE’s. I have 2 new rescue dogs who enjoy long walks no matter what the weather! I enjoy going to the gym and have become addicted to spin classes and to counter balance I enjoy going out for meals with my husband and friends (minus the teenagers!)