Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the National Screening Committee on the evidence that will be used to inform the criteria for a prostate cancer screening programme.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries of the United Kingdom on all aspects of population and targeted screening, and supports implementation. It uses research evidence, pilot programmes, economic evaluation, expert stakeholders, and consultation to assess the evidence for national screening programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria covering the condition, the test, the treatment options, and the effectiveness, ethics, and acceptability of the screening programme.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been appraised of the UK NSC’s evidence review for prostate cancer screening which is currently underway. This will cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. This will include different potential ways of screening the whole population as well as targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher than average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.

Once the modelling and evidence review are complete it will be considered by the UK NSC. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this, the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.