{"id":688051,"date":"2026-07-12T18:43:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T18:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/688051\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T18:43:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T18:43:21","slug":"i-paid-600-for-a-prostate-cancer-check-because-i-couldnt-get-one-on-the-nhs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/688051\/","title":{"rendered":"I paid \u00a3600 for a prostate cancer check because I couldn’t get one on the NHS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Men who are not eligible for routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests on the NHS are paying out of pocket for private testing to help check for prostate cancer.<\/a><\/p>\n

Some private healthcare companies have been offering promotional discount in the wake of a recommendation that screening should only be offered to men with a BRCA2 gene<\/a> variant and a family history of certain cancer types.<\/p>\n

But health leaders have warned that PSA testing, which is designed to detect levels of a protein produced by the prostate gland, can do more harm than good for many, due to inaccurate results and unnecessary testing and treatment.<\/p>\n

For Adrian Lydiard, 60, from Solihull, opting for a private PSA test was a no-brainer, after several family members were diagnosed with the disease<\/p>\n

The jeweller said he paid \u00a3600 for a private consultation, PSA test and MRI scan but said he would have paid \u00a31,000. <\/p>\n

\u201cAll I can say is that since I had it done, the relief of knowing that there is nothing to worry about, that\u2019s priceless,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Campaigners, such as cyclist Chris Hoy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0former PM David Cameron<\/a>, continue to call for prostate cancer screenings to included all men over a certain age like breast screening is for women.<\/p>\n

The issue has also come to light after revealed his own diagnosis while presenter, Dermot Murnaghan<\/a>, passed away following his fight with prostate cancer. <\/p>\n

The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) published its final recommendations recently, concluding widespread screening using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was \u201clikely to cause more harm than good\u201d.<\/p>\n

Only men with the BRCA2 gene variant with a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, or prostate cancer aged between 45-61 should be tested every two years, it said. <\/p>\n

Men can ask their GP for a PSA test, but it is up to the doctor to decide whether the test is the right option for the patient.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was lucky\u2019<\/p>\n

Mark Webb, 63, also from Solihull, was prompted to seek prostate checks after his brother-in-law was unexpectedly diagnosed with the disease and died. His nephew has since also been diagnosed.<\/p>\n

After a private PSA test indicated an elevated PSA level, followed by an MRI scan that showed mild hypertrophy, he was recommended for regular tests.<\/p>\n

While his results were ultimately negative, Webb said: \u201cGroups more prone to [prostate cancer]\u2026 should in my view be screened. I was just lucky that I had the opportunity to do what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Private healthcare firm Randox Health\u2019s promotion states that between 1st and 14th July 2026, men will be able to walk into any Randox Health clinic and book a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) test for \u00a333, reduced from the standard price of \u00a355.<\/p>\n

\"FileBroadcaster Dermot Murnaghan died after being diagnosed with prostate cancer but had previously called for the screening to include more men (Photo: Jonathan Brady\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n

For men with abnormal PSA results, a measure that varies depending on age range, Randox Health is also offering subsidised Advanced PSA Testing (Prostate Cancer Risk Score) for \u00a338, reduced from \u00a397.<\/p>\n

Another firm, One Day Tests, charges \u00a3124 for an \u201cultimate prostate check (PSA) blood test\u201d at a clinic. It shared exclusive data from around the country showing men decades younger than the recommended age for targeted prostate cancer screening are having the test carried out, with results spanning those aged 18-29, 30-49, 50-64 and 65 plus.<\/p>\n

Data One Day Tests shared with The i Paper showed that of 2,381 PSA tests taken by its patients across the UK, 161 returned high levels of PSA. <\/p>\n

Fighting to get appointments <\/p>\n

Errol McKellar, prostate cancer survivor, founder of prostate cancer charity The Errol McKellar Foundation and mechanic, believes the check should be treated by men as an MOT for their health.<\/p>\n

McKellar said he hears daily from men who are going private for prostate checks because they \u201ccan\u2019t get an appointment\u201d with the NHS.<\/p>\n

McKellar was angry and frustrated by the screening decision and wants to see all men \u2013 including Black men, who face double the risk of the disease \u2013 be given access to screening on the NHS.<\/p>\n

Chiara De Biase, fundraising and health strategy director at Prostate Cancer UK, said: \u201cWithout a screening programme for the UK\u2019s most common cancer, we lose more than 12,000 dads, brothers, and partners every single year.\u201d<\/p>\n

UKNSC said it will continue to work closely with UK researchers, including the TRANSFORM<\/a> trial, a study to establish the most effective form of treatment for prostate cancer, to address uncertainties in the evidence regarding targeted screening of Black men and other risk groups.<\/p>\n

Following the publication of the UKNSC\u2019s final recommendations, the Government announced over \u00a320m for prostate cancer research and treatment, including improving access to the trial which is for Black men.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?<\/p>\n

Prostate cancer often has no symptoms to begin with, but the main ones are listed below:<\/p>\n

Difficulty starting to pee or straining to pee<\/p>\n

A weak flow of urine<\/p>\n

\u201cStop start\u201d peeing<\/p>\n

Needing to pee urgently or often, or both<\/p>\n

Feeling like you still need to pee when you\u2019ve just finished<\/p>\n

Peeing during the night<\/p>\n

Erectile dysfunction <\/p>\n

Blood in your urine<\/a>\u00a0or semen<\/a><\/p>\n

Lower back pain and losing weight without trying to, which can be symptoms of advanced prostate cancer<\/p>\n

Professor Prabhakar Rajan, Chair in Urology & Robotic Surgery, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London said groups who are at increased risk of prostate cancer may still benefit from discussing PSA testing with their healthcare provider.<\/p>\n

However, Professor Rajan, who is also a Consultant Urologist at Barts Health & UCLH NHS Trusts, added: \u201cThe PSA test is not perfect. It can identify cancers that may never have caused harm during a man\u2019s lifetime, as well as non-cancerous causes of PSA elevation. This can lead to anxiety, further investigations such as biopsies, and sometimes treatment-related side effects in men who may never have needed treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

An NHS spokesperson, said: \u201cThe NHS recommends men practice prostate cancer symptom awareness, and seek prompt advice from their GP should they notice any new or persistent symptoms, such as difficulty starting or stopping when peeing, blood in their urine or semen, or needing to urinate urgently or more frequently- particularly at night.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you need further advice or support visit the NHS prostate cancer support page<\/a> or www.cancerresearchuk.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Men who are not eligible for routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests on the NHS are paying out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":688052,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,4440,47835,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-688051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-mens-health","tag-prostate-cancer","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=688051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/688052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=688051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=688051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=688051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}