Jeremy Clarkson has condemned the decision to strip men of the right to a prostate cancer test.
The former Top Gear presenter, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, said he could not understand the Government’s decision to change its guidance, which was first revealed by The Telegraph.
Men aged 50 and above had been entitled to a blood test to help identify prostate cancer, called a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, even if they did not have symptoms.
But new guidance removes that right, instead leaving GPs to decide who is given one.
Clarkson, 66, revealed his diagnosis during the latest season of his Amazon show, Clarkson’s Farm, before confirming he was in remission shortly after it had aired.
Jeremy Clarkson in hospital for surgery after discovering he has prostate cancer
He is among several high-profile people to have been diagnosed because of a PSA test, advocating for men to get checked, along with Lord Cameron, the former Tory prime minister.
Sir Chris Hoy, the six-time Olympic champion who discovered late that he had prostate cancer, is also a vocal proponent of PSA testing.
Responding to the news, Clarkson said: “Until last week, men over 50 were entitled to a free PSA prostate cancer check. But the government has now decided to withdraw that right,” he wrote on X. “I cannot for the life of me work out what their reasoning might be.”
The change follows the Government’s decision to reject widespread prostate cancer screening and introduce a narrow programme for a small group of genetically high-risk men who are carrying a particular BRCA2 gene variant and have a relevant family history.
The Telegraph has been campaigning for the rollout of targeted screening for thousands more men at increased risk, including black men and those with a family history of the disease.
Lord Cameron, who was also treated for prostate cancer after taking a test, told The Telegraph it was “yet another step backwards and once again shows why we need simple, proper targeted screening for all at-risk men”.
“Screening is essential to catch cancers early, when they can be more effectively and successfully treated. Only due to testing, my cancer was caught and treated in time.”
He urged Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, and Yvette Cooper, the Health Secretary, to be “brave” and “stop the complexity and confusion”.
The previous system required men to know their rights to a PSA test, with GPs unable to offer them to anyone without symptoms unless specifically asked.
The new decision, taken by Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) officials without public consultation, will take away that right and leave the onus on GPs to decide who gets tests.
Men can still request a test
A DHSC letter sent to health organisations on Thursday said that “the prostate cancer risk management programme guidance has been withdrawn”.
The guidance, which the Government has overseen since 2002, empowered men to make an “informed choice” about whether to have a PSA test. It said the test was “available free to any man aged 50 or above who requests it”.
The letter stated: “If a patient is worried about prostate cancer, then they can ask their GP about having a PSA test. As the health professional, the GP will consider the patient’s cancer risk to help with reaching a judgment on whether undertaking a PSA test is the right option for the patient, whilst clearly laying out to the patient the pros and cons associated with doing so.”
It also says that the latest guidance no longer considers men over 50 to be at high risk, because age is just one factor in assessing risk, despite the fact that the chance of disease rises sharply with age.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 63,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths annually.
Unlike breast, bowel and cervical cancer, there is no national screening programme for the disease.
The DHSC letter says there is no change to the policy for men with possible prostate cancer symptoms, who should continue to be referred for PSA testing.
A spokesman for the department responding to the initial Telegraph story said the policy had not been changed, and that the previous guidance had been “retired” because it was ambiguous. He said the final decision had always been intended to lie with the GP.
“Every man still has the right to ask their GP for a PSA test, and it remains the case that the final decision rests with GPs. All this letter does is tell GPs and others where to find the most up-to-date guidance.”