Sunak calls for targeted national screening programme for prostate cancer
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has urged Sir Keir Starmer to set up a national screening programme for those at high risk of prostate cancer.
Mr Sunak, who was recently made a Prostate Cancer Research ambassador, said thousands of lives could be saved as a result of targeted measures.
Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer are statistically more at risk of the disease, the charity said.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has previously said screenings could have a 'huge part to play in bridging health inequalities' and the UK National Screening Committee is 'examining the case for population screening'.
During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Sunak said: 'Prostate cancer is now our country's most common cancer and yet there is no national screening programme.
'We made progress towards this in government but yet there is more to do, which is why I'm delighted to have joined Prostate Cancer Research, the charity, as an ambassador.
'I'm grateful to the Health Secretary for his engagement thus far, and could I ask the Prime Minister to ensure that we do have a targeted national screening programme for the most-at-risk groups of prostate cancer?
'So that we can not only save the NHS money, make progress towards the Government's early diagnosis targets, but most crucially, save thousands of lives.'
The Prime Minister replied: 'Can I thank him for using his authority and reputation to support this vital cause which will make a material difference, and I look forward to working with him on it.
'We do share a commitment to detecting prostate cancer earlier and treating it faster – we must do that.
'Our national cancer plan will improve the way we treat cancer right across the country, and I'll make sure he is fully informed of the steps that we're taking, and we'll work with him.'
Mr Sunak said he was 'honoured' to have been made an ambassador and he hopes his work will 'prevent further needless deaths'.
Speaking earlier this week, he added: 'Men tend to ignore pain hoping it'll go away rather than going to see the GP, and that's a part of the reason why prostate cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in the UK.
'We can do something about that. It is clear from a trial that I funded when I was in office, that early detection saves lives.
'Catching the cancer early drastically improved survival rates, however that survival rate drops by half if it's caught late. A targeted national screening programme will help save many lives.'
Last Thursday, Mr Sunak met workers at the laboratories of British cancer diagnostics company Oxford BioDynamics, where they are working on a new blood test.
The EpiSwitch PSE test can detect prostate cancer with 94% accuracy, which is a 'significant improvement' on the most commonly used PSA test, according to Prostate Cancer Research.
David James, director of patient projects and influencing at Prostate Cancer Research, said: 'We deeply value Rishi's ongoing advocacy and welcome the Prime Minister's recognition of the need for earlier detection and faster treatment of prostate cancer.
'With cases now at record levels, urgent action is needed to stop men from being diagnosed too late. A targeted national screening programme is critical, particularly for those at highest risk.
'We look forward to working with Rishi in his role as a Prostate Cancer Research ambassador, and to collaborating with Wes Streeting and others to ensure that this remains a central focus in the national cancer plan and the UK National Screening Committee's review.'
Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'We want to extend our thanks to Rishi Sunak for bringing the issue of targeted screening directly to the Prime Minister.
'We submitted our proposal for targeted screening to the National Screening Committee over two years ago. We expect to hear from them before the end of 2025, but time is running out for far too many men.
'While we wait for the National Screening Committee, there's something the Government can do right now to help men. Prostate Cancer UK is calling on the Government to change outdated NHS guidelines so that GPs can start having proactive conversations with men at the highest risk of getting prostate cancer about their risk and the option to get tested.
'Sign our letter to Wes Streeting to get current NHS guidelines updated so that men at highest risk can be diagnosed earlier and more easily.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
26 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Government's new health strategy ‘no more than hiding the crisps', Tories say
The Government's 10-year health strategy to tackle demand on the NHS centres on 'hiding the crisps', a shadow minister has said. Under new proposals, retailers could be made to set targets to increase their sales of less fattening products. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said setting mandatory targets for supermarkets was 'nanny state'. 'They had 14 years in opposition to think about what they wanted to do about the NHS, they've had a year in government, and the number one thing in it seems to be hide the crisps,' she told Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. 'It's obviously the nanny state, but it's also not what people want for the NHS. 'People want to hear how they're going to get to see their GP. 'Telling people what to buy, I think, is not up to government. I believe in personal responsibility.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the same programme the Government will work with supermarkets to help 'nudge people in the right direction'. 'By taking the approach we're taking with supermarkets, they will decide through the combination of where they put their products, how they do price promotions, the reformulation, what products they choose to put on the shelves,' he said. 'They will work with us to make sure that we nudge people in the right direction without any of us even noticing, in the same way that we've nudged the country in the other direction since the 1990s.' Rejecting suggestions that the idea was too controlling, he said it was different to 'traditional nanny statism, where we regulate more heavily on price, on marketing, on what's sold'. Labour's 10-year health plan is set to be published next week. Other changes could include money for hospitals being linked to patient ratings. According to the Times, part of the proposals will see patients contacted a few weeks after their hospital treatment for feedback. Based on their responses, money could be diverted to a local 'improvement fund'. Another proposal could see NHS users awarded points for upping their step count and eating healthily. Points can then be traded for vouchers, with discounts at supermarkets and coffee shops, according to The Sun. Hundreds of bodies responsible for overseeing and running parts of the NHS in England are likely to be scrapped as part of the changes. Mr Streeting has said the current system is too complex and needs reform.
The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
Revealed: Woman who wrongly had part of spine removed among hundreds of NHS surgical blunders
A woman who mistakenly had part of her spine removed is among hundreds of patients who have been the victim of NHS surgical blunders this year. New figures show there were more than 400 serious surgical mistakes carried out on patients over the past year — including the incorrect organ being removed, the wrong body part being operated on or surgical instruments being left inside a patient's body. In some cases, entire operations were carried out on the wrong patient. The Royal College of Surgeons has now warned that the NHS needs to understand what has led to the rise in incidents to stop these mistakes being repeated. Among the victims is Gill, who was advised to have surgery on her right cervical rib after struggling with excruciating pain. But the surgeon performed the wrong operation and ended up removing portions of her vertebrae, leaving her with permanent damage to her spinal cord. 'I woke up the following morning and couldn't feel my arms and my legs and just thought 'oh my gosh what is wrong with me',' she told The Independent. The part-time-cook was warned by doctors she might not be able to walk again and was left struggling to work and was unable to continue her active lifestyle, which included dancing. Her movements are limited and she struggles with the function of her right hand. 'The emotions were just horrendous, because when you are told you will never walk again, it's very daunting,' she added. Through Been let Down lawyers Bond Turner, Gill was able to achieve a settlement for her pain and suffering and loss of amenity, loss of earnings, past and future loss of earnings; future housing adaptation costs and household expenses; past and future care; equipment; and rehabilitation. According to NHS provisional data, between April 2024 and March 2025, there were 403 similar incidents known as 'never events'– serious and largely preventable surgical mistakes. The year before, in 2023/24, there were 370 cases, while in 2022/23 there were 384. In 2021/22, 407 cases were recorded and in 2020/21 there were 364 — meaning more than 1,900 cases were reported over the past five years. The most common type of surgical error, making up more than 45 per cent of all reported 'never events' in the last year, was 'wrong site surgery'. This includes procedures performed on the wrong patient or at the wrong site, such as operating on the wrong knee, eye, or limb. Provisional data revealed that, out of the 185 'wrong site surgery' incidents, surgeons operated on the wrong body part in 46 cases. In 36 cases the wrong skin lesion was removed, while in nine cases patients received a surgery intended for someone else. In just over a quarter of incidents, a surgical instrument, swab or part of a needle was left inside the patient. About 50 patients have received the wrong implant or prosthesis, including the wrong hip or knee replacement. Other mishaps included a transfusion of the wrong blood, medication given incorrectly and overdoses of insulin. At most hospitals these 'never events' only happen once or twice a year, but NHS data reveals that, at the worst offending hospitals, these incidents can happen more than 10 times a year. Over the past year there were 10 incidents at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, 11 at University Hospital Southampton and 13 at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. All these trusts have been contacted for comment. Paul Grundy, chief medical officer at University Hospital Southampton, said: 'We take any incidents of this nature extremely seriously and are sorry that they occurred. 'No patients suffered serious harm in any of these cases, however the Trust is committed to delivering the very best standards of care and is always transparent in the reporting of mistakes, encouraging staff to report incidents if they occur. 'On the rare occasion that we get things wrong, we carry out a thorough investigation, ensuring learnings are shared to help us improve the quality and safety of the clinical care we deliver and to minimise the risk of recurrence.' The Royal College of Surgeons said hospitals need to take steps to understand what has led to the rise in incidents to stop these mistakes being repeated. A spokesperson said: 'Surgical teams take the safety of patients very seriously, using the World Health Organisation's (WHO) pre and post-operative check lists to help prevent mistakes. 'When mistakes do happen, it is traumatic for both the patients and staff involved. 'NHS hospitals need to consider these figures carefully and take steps to understand what has led to the rise in incidents. 'They must learn from mistakes, in an open way, involving all theatre staff in changes to policies and procedures that can stop mistakes being repeated.' These incidents are recorded through a mandatory reporting system to NHS England and investigations are carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In the past decade the NHS has changed how the data is measured. Prior to 2014/15, they have only included incidents where a patient was directly harmed. But this was changed to include incidents with the potential to harm a patient – leading to a rise in the number of cases recorded. In 2017/18, the NHS made a minor change to the sub-categories it used to split never-events into different types of cases. An NHS spokesperson said: 'NHS staff work exceptionally hard to keep patients safe and incidents like these are extremely rare, but when they do occur NHS trusts are mandated to investigate what has happened and take effective steps to learn from them and make improvements.'
The Herald Scotland
35 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Government's new health strategy ‘no more than hiding the crisps', Tories say
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said setting mandatory targets for supermarkets was 'nanny state'. 'They had 14 years in opposition to think about what they wanted to do about the NHS, they've had a year in government, and the number one thing in it seems to be hide the crisps,' she told Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. Mr Streeting said the Government wants to 'nudge people in the right direction' (Lucy North/PA) 'It's obviously the nanny state, but it's also not what people want for the NHS. 'People want to hear how they're going to get to see their GP. 'Telling people what to buy, I think, is not up to government. I believe in personal responsibility.' Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the same programme the Government will work with supermarkets to help 'nudge people in the right direction'. 'By taking the approach we're taking with supermarkets, they will decide through the combination of where they put their products, how they do price promotions, the reformulation, what products they choose to put on the shelves,' he said. 'They will work with us to make sure that we nudge people in the right direction without any of us even noticing, in the same way that we've nudged the country in the other direction since the 1990s.' Rejecting suggestions that the idea was too controlling, he said it was different to 'traditional nanny statism, where we regulate more heavily on price, on marketing, on what's sold'. Labour's 10-year health plan is set to be published next week. Other changes could include money for hospitals being linked to patient ratings. According to the Times, part of the proposals will see patients contacted a few weeks after their hospital treatment for feedback. Based on their responses, money could be diverted to a local 'improvement fund'. Another proposal could see NHS users awarded points for upping their step count and eating healthily. Points can then be traded for vouchers, with discounts at supermarkets and coffee shops, according to The Sun. Hundreds of bodies responsible for overseeing and running parts of the NHS in England are likely to be scrapped as part of the changes. Mr Streeting has said the current system is too complex and needs reform.
