Prostate Cancer

Lord Bailey of Paddington Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bailey of Paddington (Con)]

My Lords, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, but the risk is not shared equally. Black men face a one in four lifetime risk, compared with a one in eight risk for white men. They are also most likely to be diagnosed at a late stage, when treatment is less effective. Men with a family history of BRCA mutations or who live in more deprived areas are also at greater risk. Yet the current guidelines treat all men the same. GPs are told not to raise the issue unless the man has symptoms, but prostate cancer often has no symptoms until it is advanced.

Prostate Cancer UK argues that this is outdated and dangerous. It is calling for GPs to be allowed to proactively speak to black men aged 45 about PSA testing. This small change could save lives by enabling diagnosis and treatment. Previous trials have not included enough black men to show the full benefits of screening, but this gap in evidence should not justify inaction. Updating guidelines to reflect this risk is a matter of public health and fairness. I urge the Government to act so that this inequity and this postcode lottery no longer dictate a man’s chances of surviving prostate cancer.

I had to badger my GP to have it done. I had to point out that I am of West Indian descent and that my family has had this happen before. That was the only point at which it became relevant to my GP. If you did not have my tenacity, that could be a death sentence. You would not be willing, would not be able and would not even know that you need to take on this system. There are many poor communities, black and white, that need this change if our men are to survive.

Prostate Cancer: National Screening Programme

Lord Bailey of Paddington Excerpts

Thursday 27th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I agree about the need for clear messages, and I hope the noble and right reverend Lord will agree on the need for striving to do rather better.

[Lord Bailey of Paddington (Con)]

My Lords, in many deprived communities, and in the black community in particular, there is a very high incidence of prostate cancer. Before they get to the PSA test, what work is being done to educate communities even to be involved with seeking out that test in order to protect their health?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord is quite right to raise this. I am glad to say that the TRANSFORM trial I referred to will help to address this by ensuring that a significant proportion of participants are black men, who suffer disproportionately in this regard. That is really important, because previous trials have not included enough black men. The trial will address those disparities, and therefore the results that we get from that will be really important. It is always the case that working with specific communities to get the right message out is key to what we do.

NHS Plan: Consultation

Lord Bailey of Paddington Excerpts

Monday 2nd December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

My noble friend allows me to say—and I hope your Lordships’ House will agree with this—that our approach will of course focus on addressing the social determinants of health. The goal will be to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and the poorest regions. We are not just going to be moving from sickness to prevention as one of our three pillars, important though that is; we are also seeking, across government, to address the root causes of health inequalities. Again, that is being highlighted as part of the consultation.

[Lord Bailey of Paddington (Con)]

What special efforts will be made to speak to young people, who are often very far away from the health system—those leaving care, those who have just left prison and those from very poor communities? What effort will be made to hear their voices? They are often far away from the NHS because they do not need it yet, but they will in the future.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord. Yesterday, I was at an in-person event in Folkestone, and as with all such events up and down the country, it had used systems to find a wide range of people, including young people, who, as he rightly says, are often unlinked with the health service. I emphasise our continued monitoring and our efforts to reach the groups he speaks of. So far, we know that men, those aged under 35, and black Asian and black British people have engaged least with Change NHS. We are now stepping up our efforts.