The “This Van Can” roadshow works best when we collaborate with PCNs in each local area. By promoting the van events together, attendance and engagement – with the right people – is improved. The Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance has produced a range of materials to help PCNs promote the van to their patients.

three people stand chatting. One of them is wearing the "This Van Can" uniform, including a black NHS woolly hat. The blue van can be seen behind them.

Simple ways PCNs can help us drive attendance to the van

  • Use our social media toolkit on your channels – or just share from ours
  • Use our text / WhatsApp message copy
  • Display posters in your practices
  • Use local health champions and VCSE groups to help spread the word
  • Consider demographics of your area – do you need translated materials? Please let us know in advance if possible.

The digital comms pack is available to download here, and includes:

  • Social media graphics, wording and alt text – tailored for each event
  • Social media graphics, wording and alt text – generic
  • Newsletter copy
  • Text / WhatsApp message copy

If you would like printed posters sending to you, please email gmcancer.comms@nhs.net

Case Study – Ardwick and Longsight PCN

Kate Johnson, the PCN Cancer Lead for Ardwick and Longsight PCN, heard about the “This Van Can” bowel cancer awareness project via the PCN Cancer Leads call, hosted by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance. Aware of low screening uptake and low early diagnosis performance in her area, Kate reached out to the van team and supported the event in Longsight.

Working with her PCN Neighbourhood lead, she reached out to local health champions who were able to drive footfall. She also asked the practices in her PCN to encourage signposting to the event where appropriate.

Due to the demographics of the PCNs population, the PCN Cancer Lead arranged for an Urdu speaking HCA from a practice to attend to support the local population and the van team with translating.

Kate and her team also worked with the local Cancer Screening Improvement Lead (CSIL), who was attending the event, to track those patients who had Bowel Cancer Screening FIT tests ordered for them on the day by the CSIL, and following up with them to ensure receipt and completion of the test.

Details of the website (www.thisvancan.co.uk) were shared with all practice managers and the use of the provided social media assets and physical posters to increase promotion was encouraged.

Finally, all practice managers in the PCN were encouraged to send out a text message to the patients a few days prior to the This Van Can Event. An approved text message template is available in our digital toolkit.

It was evident that this promotion was helpful, with good attendance at the van on the day. A number of test kits were ordered, and the Urdu translator was able to help with on-the-day communications, making sure that the key messages were understood by as many people as possible.

Kate Johnson said:

“We know that the bowel screening uptake is low in our PCN, and we also are keen to improve our early diagnosis performance by helping our population understand the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer. By linking in with the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance on events like this we’re able to direct our patients to the help available, and hopefully improve both screening uptake and early diagnosis rates. That’s a win-win for us and our patients.”

Michael Armstrong, Project Lead at the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance said:

“Working closely with Kate and her team was really helpful, and the event in Longsight was well attended, with many people reporting they had been told about the van by their GP surgery. We’d be delighted to support other PCNs as we move around Greater Manchester – feel free to get in touch.”

The van will be touring Greater Manchester between November 2024 and May 2025. Please visit this page to find dates and venues for the van events.