NHS must do more to save working class men from their biggest killer

Former Prime Minister David Cameron has just opened up about his daignosis, and hopefully the doctors have caught it earlier enough. But let me get this straight: in 2025, a man's chance of surviving prostate cancer can still be predicted by the size of his wallet and the quality of his postcode? Wealthy areas are seeing improvements, earlier diagnoses, quicker referrals - meanwhile, working-class men are essentially told: "Good luck, mate, hope you've written a will."

How is that even remotely fair? This is healthcare by postcode lottery. Am I supposed to believe that because I come from a working-class background I'm more likely to die purely because the NHS can't be bothered to reach men like me? Apparently, yes.

The data tells a brutal story. Better-off areas are racing ahead while deprived communities are lagging behind like a knackered old Ford Fiesta on the M1. And the cruel irony? Black men, who are already twice as likely to develop prostate cancer, are heavily represented in these same deprived communities.

So the group most at risk is also the group least likely to get screenings, least likely to be aware of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, and least able to access the healthcare that might save their lives.

It's a bit like watching a fire break out and handing out the extinguishers to the people furthest from the flames.

Then add in the cultural barriers - men who don't want to talk about their health, men who think getting checked makes them "soft," men who leave everything until the pain becomes unbearable. Combine all of that with the NHS forgetting we exist until we hobble into A&E, and you've got the perfect recipe for avoidable deaths.

Here's the wild part: fixing this isn't rocket science. We know exactly who is most at risk - older men, working-class men, Black men, and those with a family history of prostate cancer. You don't need a billion-pound task force, a panel of consultants, and three years of "exploratory research".

You need a list. You need letters. You need screenings. Seriously - invite the men most likely to die to the front of the queue. It's not difficult. It's not controversial. It's common sense.

And let's talk money, because the NHS is always skint until something fashionable pops up. If we can find cash to rewrite leaflets to swap "breastfeeding" for "chestfeeding", surely - SURELY - we can scrape together some pennies to stop thousands of men dying from a cancer we can actually catch early.

Working-class men deserve the same shot at life as anyone in Chelsea, Surrey or Cheshire. We deserve the same chance at early detection as our wealthier neighbours. And all men deserve a health system that doesn't treat them as an afterthought simply because they weren't born in the right postcode.

It's time to stop making excuses. Identify the men at highest risk. Bring the screenings to them. Save lives.