{"id":194448,"date":"2025-10-12T07:27:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T07:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/194448\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T07:27:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T07:27:09","slug":"rishi-sunak-warns-government-over-u-turn-on-prostate-screening-which-will-undoubtedly-cost-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/194448\/","title":{"rendered":"Rishi Sunak warns Government over U-turn on prostate screening which ‘will undoubtedly cost lives’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ETHAN ENNALS, HEALTH EDITOR<\/a> and JO MACFARLANE, HEALTH REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 16:59 EDT, 11 October 2025 | Updated: 17:07 EDT, 11 October 2025 <\/p>\n

Rishi Sunak<\/a> is urging the Government not to shelve a national prostate cancer<\/a> screening programme because any \u2018delay will undoubtedly cost lives\u2019.<\/p>\n

Reports emerged last week that the UK National Screening Committee, which advises the Government, intends to dismiss proposals to offer men most at risk of prostate cancer routine NHS<\/a> tests.<\/p>\n

The tests pick up early signs of the deadly disease.<\/p>\n

A source close to the committee has told The Mail on Sunday that evidence suggests a prostate cancer screening programme may not be cost-effective.<\/p>\n

But in a rare intervention, Mr Sunak said: \u2018The evidence is increasingly clear that a targeted screening programme is deliverable and would save lives.<\/p>\n

\u2018Now is the time to implement a targeted screening programme for the most common cancer among British men.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Delay will undoubtedly cost lives.\u2019<\/p>\n

No final decision has been made and the committee is due to meet next month to discuss the proposals, the source said.<\/p>\n

\"But <\/p>\n

But in a rare intervention, Rish Sunak said: \u2018The evidence is increasingly clear that a targeted screening programme is deliverable and would save lives’<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Daily Mail has been campaigning to end needless prostate cancer deaths<\/p>\n

The Mail campaign calling for a national screening programme is also backed by Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Stephen Fry, who have been treated for prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Sir Stephen, who had surgery for aggressive prostate cancer in 2018, said any decision to abandon the plans would be a crushing blow and it was \u2018time something changed\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018My prostate cancer diagnosis came totally out of the blue,\u2019 he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018It was aggressive, so I was very lucky to find it early enough to get it dealt with.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘However, you can\u2019t leave cancer, or your life, to luck.<\/p>\n

\u2018We need a health system that gives men a fairer shot at a curable diagnosis,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n

The charity Prostate Cancer UK described the news as a \u2018deep disappointment\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chief executive Laura Kerby said: \u2018If these reports are true, it will come as a blow to the tens of thousands of men, loved ones and families who have fought for a screening programme.\u2019<\/p>\n

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: \u2018This Government has been clear it would like to see screening in place, but the decision must be evidence-led.<\/p>\n

\u2018We know that a safe and effective screening programme will save thousands of men\u2019s lives.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed form of cancer in England, with 58,000 cases identified last year, preliminary figures show.<\/p>\n

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