Prostate Cancer

Lord Beamish Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Beamish (Lab)]

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Mott, on securing this very important debate. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last February. I had no symptoms. I was going as normal for my yearly health check at my local GP surgery when a nurse suggested that the PSA test might be appropriate because of my age. It came back positive and, as the noble Lord, Lord Dobbs, and my noble friend Lord Watson of Wyre Forest said, it is not a dignified process—although when you get the diagnosis, frankly you do not care.

Let us go through the reasons why this is not being offered. One, as the noble Lord, Lord Patel, said, is the PSA test. I accept that, but I am sure that the three of us who have just talked about our experiences would rather have had a chance of that test than nothing, which was the alternative. There are moves forward with PSA tests, saliva tests and other things, but we must have a screening programme that targets high-risk groups. Education is also going to be important. We need we need a national education programme on this.

Also, from the NHS’s point of view, there is the UK National Screening Committee. I campaigned with my noble friend Lord Watson in the other place around cardiac risk in the young, asking for screening of young people in active sports. The same excuses were used to resist that as are being used now for prostate cancer: false positives and raising anxiety. Yes, it is very stressful point when you get that diagnosis. Thankfully, my treatment is going well, which is down to the incredible people that we have in our NHS, who work very hard on our behalf. I am eternally grateful to them.

Let us look at the economics of this. If we are to reduce costs in the NHS, we must put more money and effort into prevention. This is about prevention. Put very crudely, early diagnosis and treatment is not only saving the NHS money but helping people have a positive and active life.