Prostate Cancer Screening

Paul Davies Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. The National Screening Committee’s current recommendations are very restricted, limiting prostate cancer screening to every two years for men aged between 45 and 61 with pathogenic BRCA2 variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer. According to its modelling report, just one in 277 people has the variant. In total, around 1,500 men in England would be eligible for such screening.

The Transform trial is a key part of the Government’s strategy for improving detection and support for men with prostate cancer. It is a long-term commitment and I absolutely support that work, but I am concerned about the lack of strategy to support men with, and at high risk of, prostate cancer in the interim. Clearly, this impacts men today. I am concerned that the decision to withdraw the previous prostate cancer risk management programme and to direct GPs to refer to guidance in NICE clinical knowledge summaries when discussing PSA tests with patients has seriously reduced clarity for patients.

[Luke Murphy (Basingstoke) (Lab)]

I have met many men and their families in Basingstoke who have been affected by prostate cancer. Although many of them welcome the targeted screening programme, we need reassurance from the Government. As more evidence comes to light from the fantastic Transform programme, does my hon. Friend agree that the Government should commit to expanding it as the evidence allows?

[Paul Davies]

I absolutely agree. We clearly have to act on that, and very quickly—that is the key point that many Members have made. We cannot wait. We see so many men affected by this illness and, unfortunately, many deaths and many men suffering for a long period.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

On the hon. Member’s point about lack of clarity, my constituent Richard went to his GP with early symptoms of prostate cancer, but because he did not fit the screening profile his GP refused a PSA test. Does the hon. Member agree that Ministers could issue guidance to make sure that GPs are not misinterpreting the new situation?

[Paul Davies]

I absolutely agree. I recently had to work quite hard to get a PSA test. I have a very good GP, but was basically told it was a waste of time having the test. We need to make sure we have clarity so that GPs know how to deal with this and men understand that they have an entitlement to the test.

I ask the Minister to make sure that we have a clear offer to higher-risk men. Will she confirm that men aged 50 or over or at higher risk are able to discuss the pros and cons of testing with their GP, and that the entitlement to a PSA test remains even though the PCRMP has been withdrawn? Going back to the screening we have at the moment, will she explain how BRCA2 carriers will be found and invited to screening going forward?