I am so deeply disappointed at the recent recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee not to introduce a population-wide screening programme for prostate cancer at this time. We understand how much hope, energy, and lived experience underpin the desire for change, and how strongly our group members feel about preventing late diagnosis. As ever, we will continue to operate from a position of evidence, integrity and partnership, and set out clearly the practical next steps we can take.
We are asking for our members to continue gathering lived experience from our communities, particularly stories linked to family history, delays in accessing PSA testing, conflicting advice from GPs, or barriers faced by people who received a high PSA reading at a community event. If someone says, “This happened to my neighbour,” please encourage them to write it down. These real-life accounts strengthen our influencing work and will help shape sector-wide conversations as we look ahead to future campaigns.
We await a consultation response and I will update you as soon as there is clarity on the process. I also want to address a point of confusion. Some have interpreted the NSC decision as implying that the PSA blood test itself causes harm. That is not what the NSC has said. Their concern is not about the safety of a PSA blood test, but about its reliability as a population-level screening tool. In January. Participation in the TRANSFORM trial has commenced. If anyone in your family, neighbours, or colleagues receives an invitation, taking part will help build a stronger evidence base currently missing and essential for informing future decisions about risk-based screening.