North Wales group funds own prostate tests as NHS screening question remains unanswered
A north Wales prostate cancer group has been working with employers to fund PSA testing through fundraising, with members reporting early detection as a result, but a Welsh Government official told the Senedd on Friday that the UK health system’s decision not to introduce national screening remains unexplained.
The issue was raised at the final scrutiny session of the Sixth Senedd by Carolyn Thomas MS (Labour, North Wales Region), who said she had met the north Wales group and could not understand why prostate-specific antigen testing was not being made available nationally through the NHS.
“I’ve also met with prostate cancer, the north Wales group,” Ms Thomas told the First Minister and her officials.
“They are working with employers to do testing themselves through fundraising.
“Many in that group have had early detection because of that prostate specific antigen testing through their own initiatives.
“They’re asking, and I don’t understand, why the UK-wide health system will not roll out PSA testing through the NHS.
“Could you explain that to me?”
Nick Wood, deputy chief executive of NHS Wales, said he could not.
“I can’t explain why the UK health authorities decided not to introduce national screening for prostate,” Mr Wood said.
“That’s a policy decision that they’ve made.”
Ms Thomas pressed him on what could be done.
“How can we change it? Because it’s obviously working, through private testing funded by these charities,” she said.
Mr Wood drew a distinction between what the north Wales group was doing and a formal NHS screening programme.
Prostate-specific antigen testing is available via GP self-referral, he said, but uptake is low because men tend not to present for it.
“I think there needs to be a wider public health message to men, because we know that men are not — I’m speaking as one who’s not — very good at it,” Mr Wood said.
He acknowledged the scale of the problem.
“Prostate is the second biggest cancer in the UK.
“People are not getting tested early enough.
“They need to be given access, but also choose to take that access as well,” he said.
Mr Wood pointed to new women’s health hubs introduced this year as the start of a process that should ultimately be extended to address men’s health, with prostate cancer a priority.
Ms Thomas also raised breast screening during the session, citing a petition calling for a Welsh Government-led awareness campaign.
She told the committee the current attendance rate stands at 69.1 per cent, and that reaching 80 per cent would produce around 156 additional early cancer diagnoses each year.
No commitment to a specific campaign was given during the session.
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