The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust held a pilot outreach at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Stoke-on-Trent to address health inequalities in the Sikh community. Staff and local leaders promoted NHS screening for bowel, breast, lung and cervical cancers, provided flu vaccinations for eligible people, and offered advice on diet, exercise and mental health. Organisers highlighted communication, health literacy, cultural concerns and limited digital confidence as key barriers and plan to replicate the successful model in other community settings.
NHS Outreach at Guru Nanak Gurdwara Boosts Cancer Screening and Tackles Health Barriers
The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust held a pilot outreach at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Stoke-on-Trent to address health inequalities in the Sikh community. Staff and local leaders promoted NHS screening for bowel, breast, lung and cervical cancers, provided flu vaccinations for eligible people, and offered advice on diet, exercise and mental health. Organisers highlighted communication, health literacy, cultural concerns and limited digital confidence as key barriers and plan to replicate the successful model in other community settings.
12:18 PM, 11/15/2025Health
NHS trust holds pilot health day at Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Stoke-on-Trent
The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) worked with local Sikh leaders to deliver a pilot outreach event at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara and Sikh Cultural Centre in Stoke-on-Trent. The aim was to raise awareness of NHS screening programmes, support early detection of cancer, and address barriers that prevent some community members from accessing care.
What happened: UHNM staff and community leaders promoted screening for bowel, breast, lung and cervical cancer, offered flu vaccinations to eligible people, and provided practical advice on diet, exercise and mental health. Attendees were able to speak directly with healthcare professionals about symptoms, early detection and available support services.
Barriers identified: Sadaff Butt, an organisational development consultant at UHNM, described a range of obstacles affecting some people in the Sikh community. These included limited health literacy, unclear written communications (for example, confusing appointment letters), cultural hesitancy to ask questions, and low digital confidence when using online NHS services.
"There are cultural and communication barriers. People can be hesitant to ask questions and sometimes find letters and the whole appointment process confusing," Ms Butt said.
By bringing health services into a trusted community setting, the trust hoped to make information and support more accessible and less intimidating. The pilot was well received, with organisers saying the response was overwhelmingly positive and expressing eagerness to replicate the model at mosques, temples and other community venues.
Next steps: UHNM plans to use lessons from the event to improve communications and outreach, simplify how appointment information is presented, and expand in-person engagement to reduce health inequalities across diverse communities.