- Our campaign - developed in partnership with the Multicultural Marketing Consultancy (MMC) - aims to improve breast and prostate cancer outcomes in Black communities.
- South East London resident and breast cancer survivor Philomena Ofodu, who fronted the campaign, joined us on stage last week (21 November) to accept the award.
Last Thursday (21 November) we won the 2024 HSJ Award for Communications Initiative of the Year - alongside the Multicultural Marketing Consultancy - for developing a campaign built on the voices of Black communities across South East London, to increase early breast and prostate cancer detection and ultimately save lives.
Working in partnership with local health advocates, patients and influencers, we developed a campaign to encourage Black women aged 50 to 71, to attend their breast screening appointment when invited and Black men aged 45 and over to talk to their GP about having a PSA blood test.
With data revealing that 1 in 12 Black men will die from prostate cancer compared to 1 in 24 white men, and Black women twice as likely to receive a later staged breast cancer diagnosis, the need for action has never been clearer. These stark statistics highlighted the critical need for collective action to address these inequalities.
The 2024 HSJ Awards took place on November 21 in Battersea, London and celebrated the achievements of dedicated teams from the UK’s health and social care sector and their ongoing efforts to reduce health inequalities and deliver improved patient outcomes.
This year, an impressive 1351 entries were received across 26 categories, with 235 nominees making it to the final shortlist, following two rounds of rigorous judging.
Our winning entry is a culmination of two years of work, which included primary research in the form of interviews and focus groups with the Black African and Caribbean community, to understand their attitudes and behaviours towards accessing healthcare.
The judges were impressed by our genuine understanding of community voice and involvement and how we worked with MMC to harness local connections to raise awareness and save lives. We were also applauded for developing culturally aware approaches to address health disparities.
The campaign – which first launched in January this year – has included billboard advertising, social media, radio partnerships and community engagement led by local advocates. The campaign has been hugely successful, facilitating important conversations amongst Black communities in South East London around cancer screenings and checks. Early data suggests increased breast screening coverage for Black women in South East London, as well as an increase in suspected prostate cancer referrals for Black men.
South East London resident Philomena Ofodu agreed to front the campaign after completing her breast cancer treatment in 2022. The 53-year-old received her breast cancer diagnosis in September 2021 after attending her breast screening appointment. Philomena later became an ambassador for charity Black Women Rising, to support others through their cancer journey and highlight the importance of early cancer detection.
Philomena attended the award night in Battersea Park last week (21 November) and said: “Attending my breast screening appointment saved my life. I urge every woman to attend their Breast screening appointment seriously- Your appointment could be life-saving. Prioritising your health is a powerful statement of self-love and responsibility. Make that appointment, not just for your peace of mind, but for the peace of mind of those who care about you.”
Dr Jonathan Noël, Consultant Urological Surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, took part in local radio discussions about the campaign. He has reflected on the award-winning campaign and said:“With over a quarter of our population in South East London being from Black communities, it’s vital we address these alarming cancer statistics.
“Early detection remains the most crucial factor in improving cancer outcomes, and we encourage everyone to take proactive steps towards their health.”
To find out more about our campaign visit: https://www.selca.nhs.uk/patients-and-carers/screening/breast-and-prostate-awareness