Victoria Collins

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I appreciate this important debate, because for me this issue is personal. Last Christmas was particularly difficult for us as a family, because my dad had a looming prostate cancer diagnosis. He had been participating in the trial screening programme over the last 15 years, and although that is not always easy—other Members have alluded to how difficult it is—once confirmed, his early diagnosis meant that they caught it and it can be managed. Thankfully, dad is doing well. One of my constituents, Michael from Harpenden, wrote to me ahead of today’s debate. Although he had no symptoms, he was encouraged to ask his GP for a full blood test, which found early stage prostate cancer. He tells me that under the new screening rules, he would not have been diagnosed. He calls himself one of the lucky ones, but no man’s survival should come down to luck. As has been highlighted, prostate cancer is now one of the UK’s most common cancers, and I applaud the survivors, bereaved families and campaigners who have secured a screening programme, but that will only reach about 1,500 men, leaving out many black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer, so it must be just a first step. There are still too many men outside the programme, so I ask the Minister: learning from the stories of my dad, Michael and so many more, how do we ensure that those who need it get the screening they deserve? How can we learn from trial programmes and use new technology to make sure that it is a better screening programme for everyone involved? Will the Government urgently guarantee delivery of the targeted programme across the country and build the infrastructure to broaden screening at every possible level where it is needed? Will they look at writing into law that every cancer patient starts treatment within 62 days? Every man deserves the chance that my dad and Michael had.