Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly has said he will push for a national prostate cancer screening programme to be included in the Conservative Party’s next general election manifesto.
Speaking ahead of a conference tomorrow (April 22) organised by men’s health charity CHAPS, which will bring together leading clinicians, researchers and policymakers, Sir James made clear his intention to advocate for nationwide screening based on growing evidence of its benefits.
Asked whether screening should be included in the party’s next manifesto, Sir James said:
“Yes, and I will continue to make that case. The evidence is there. The need is clear. A national screening programme for prostate cancer is a policy that would save lives, reduce pressure on the NHS by catching the disease earlier when treatment is less complex and less costly. This is something I believe the Conservative Party should commit to, and I will be advocating for it.”
Explaining his personal motivation for supporting the issue and CHAPS’ work, he said:
“My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died with it rather than from it, but I saw at first hand what the disease puts a family through. I do not want anyone to suffer unnecessarily from this disease when we have the tools to detect it early. That is why I am here and why I back the work CHAPS does.”
He warned that prostate cancer remains a major and growing health challenge:
“ Prostate cancer has now overtaken breast cancer as the most diagnosed cancer in the UK. Yet there is still no national screening programme. That is unacceptable. The fact that we have the tools to detect this disease early, we know who is most at risk, and we are still not acting on that knowledge at a national level is a failure of the government.”
Addressing men who may be hesitant to come forward for testing, Sir James said:
“Caught early, prostate cancer is very treatable. Left undetected, it can be fatal. I know that there is a stigma around the testing, but men can now just ask their GP to have a PSA blood test. In its early stages, prostate cancer often has no symptoms, which is why it is so important for every man over the age of 50, black or with a family history, to take a PSA test. That small blood sample can and does save lives.”
He also set out what further action he believes is needed from the government: “The Government should be expanding access to PSA testing, improving GP referral rates and investing in the infrastructure needed to support a national programme when it comes. Every year they delay costs lives.”
Chris Booth, MBBS, FRCS, Founder & Chairman, CHAPS Charity said: “The conference highlights the UK’s unacceptably high prostate cancer death rate and systemic failures in early detection, particularly around the PSA blood test.
First, GPs and public health policymakers often lack the specialist urological training needed to interpret PSA results effectively. As a result, many men remain unaware of their risk or receive outdated and inconsistent advice.
Second, urologists, who have the relevant expertise, are largely hospital-based, with limited involvement in community screening where early detection should occur. Urology departments have neither been resourced nor tasked with delivering screening programmes.
Thirdly, at the top of the pyramid sits the National Screening Committee (NSC) which advises the Department of Health and the Government on screening issues. On prostate cancer screening, the NSC bases its recommendations to the Government on “expert” reports from academic institutions that are disconnected from current best medical practice. The latest recommendations to the NSC have been thoroughly scrutinised by independent experts who have concluded they are “not fit for purpose.”
The National Conference on Prostate Cancer Screening will examine these issues, highlighting successful UK initiatives already saving lives and making the case for a national screening programme.
