Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and David Evennett

Tuesday 23rd January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)]

9. What steps she is taking to help improve men’s health.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Maria Caulfield)]

I assure my right hon. Friend that this Government are committed to improving men’s health. That is why, in November, we announced a suite of measures, including a £16 million fund for a new prostate cancer screening trial, and the recruitment of a men’s health ambassador. We have also launched our men’s health taskforce to tackle the biggest health issues facing men.

[Sir David Evennett]

I thank the Minister for that answer, and I would urge her to continue to make men’s health a top priority. In particular, can she look at how we can detect prostate cancer better and sooner? It is the most common cause of male cancer in the United Kingdom, and anything that can be done to reduce that number will be most welcome.

[Maria Caulfield]

I thank my right hon. Friend and male colleagues on the Government Benches, including my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Nick Fletcher), who are fighting so hard to improve men’s health. He is absolutely right: 12,000 men a year die from prostate cancer. That is why we are investing in the £16 million prostate cancer trial called Transform, using methods such as MRI to detect prostate cancer rather than PSA, which can be inaccurate. Thousands of men will be recruited. We are hoping that the trial will start in the spring, with recruitment in the autumn, including the recruitment of black men, who are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Maria Caulfield and David Evennett

Tuesday 19th April 2022 Commons Chamber

[Maria Caulfield]

I can let the hon. Lady know that interviews have taken place for a women’s health ambassador. We are expecting an announcement on the appointment any day now. We will be publishing the women’s health strategy in the coming weeks.

[Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)]

I welcome all that my right hon. Friend is doing to address health inequalities. However, could I ask him to look carefully at public health funding for my borough of Bexley, as we are seriously underfunded compared with similar boroughs in London?