John Baron MP hosts Prostate Cancer Charity event in Parliament

John Baron MP (l) with Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity

MP highlights inequality in prostate cancer care

Yesterday in Parliament, the Prostate Cancer Charity held a special drop-in event for MPs which was sponsored by John Baron MP. MPs were able to meet representatives from the charity, as well as volunteers and survivors.

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the decision of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to defer the development of a ‘quality standard’ for prostate cancer care for two years. These formal standards are already available from NICE for other cancers, such as breast cancer, and ensure that healthcare providers and NHS staff know exactly what services and standard of care they should be providing. They also ensure patients know what level of care and support they are entitled to.

In the interim, the Prostate Cancer Charity has drawn up its own draft quality standard, covering every stage of the disease, and including support for family members and carers.

At the event, John said,

“Prostate cancer is one of the big four cancers, killing 10,000 men a year. It is essential that we take action to reduce these numbers.”

“NICE’s decision to postpone the development of a care quality standard for prostate cancer sufferers is deeply regrettable. Many other cancers already have these standards. We therefore need to press the Government to eliminate this inequality. Meanwhile, the Prostate Cancer Charity’s own quality standard is an excellent interim measure.”

The Prostate Cancer Charity’s Chief Executive, Owen Sharp, added,

“Choosing which treatment to have can be a minefield for men with prostate cancer and many are simply not getting the level of support and information they need to navigate this.”

“We can not afford to wait for NICE to stop dragging its heels. We are proud to have developed our own set of standards, and urge MPs to pledge their support for them. A ‘quality standard’ for breast cancer was published two years ago, yet men with prostate cancer are forced to wait. We must move swiftly to change this inequality.”