Until now (August 2026), any man over the age of 50 without symptoms has been entitled to a free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test via their GP. But new Government guidance removes that right. Instead, GPs will decide whether to grant a test or not, making it more likely more men go undiagnosed, leading to more deaths from Prostate Cancer.
The “Keep Prostate Tests on Request” campaign aims to get as many individual letters as possible sent to the Health Secretary Yvette Cooper MP. The aim is to fill her post bag with messages demanding these damaging changes are reversed and all men aged over 50 have the right to request a PSA test.
Fill your details in below and the “Keep Prostate Tests on Request” letter will be sent in your name to the Health Secretary. If you would like to add a personal comment or experience you can use the letter below as a template you can copy and paste, then either send it yourself (Address details here) or email the text to [email protected] and I will ensure your message is delivered.
If you have any concerns about your own health, you can find lots of information on the NHS website (Click here) and the Torbay Prostate Support Association (Click here) or contact your GP.
Dear Ms Cooper,
Keep Prostate Tests on Request
I am deeply concerned to hear the right of any man aged over 50, without already having symptoms, to request a free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test has been removed.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 63,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths annually. It’s the biggest cancer killer where there is currently no national screening programme for all at risk.
Until now, any man over the age of 50 without symptoms has been entitled to a free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test via their GP. But new Government guidance removes that right. Instead, GPs will decide whether to grant a test or not, making it more likely more men go undiagnosed, leading to more deaths from Prostate Cancer.
In the absence of a national screening programme, this change brings another barrier to giving men the chance to detect Prostate Cancer at the earliest stage, before symptoms set in, vital for maximising the chances of successful treatment. It will also see further pressure on GP time in deciding whether to offer a test which any man aged over 50 could simply request previously.
I urge you to overturn this new guidance and reinstate the right of all men aged over 50 to request a free PSA test. It’s the simple move which will prevent more deaths by encouraging more men to take the test.
Yours sincerely
