Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of one in three men in Scotland reportedly being diagnosed with prostate cancer at a late stage, whether it will commit to exploring alternative interventions to support earlier identification of the condition, irrespective of the final recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee on it.
The Scottish Government, along with all other UK nations, takes advice from the UK NSC, an independent expert advisory group that informs screening policy across the UK. The Scottish Government will consider this guidance regarding any screening interventions.
We continue to take action to diagnose prostate cancer earlier. A clinical refresh of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer was published in August 2025. For this first time this now includes guidelines for key groups who should consider speaking to their GP about PSA testing from age 45. These are:
The guidelines now also explicitly mentions the prostate cancer risk management pathway, noting that GPs should have an informed conversation with anyone regardless of age if the individual is concerned about prostate cancer.
The primary care cancer education platform – Gateway C – supported by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is providing innovative, and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making. This resource includes specific modules on prostate cancer to support GPs.