Take action on cancer
Published 6 Apr 2012 12:30
THE area's MSP is call for better standards for residents suffering from prostate cancer.
Hugh Henry, MSP for Renfrewshire South, has expressed support for a national set of standards of quality prostate cancer care.
After a wide-ranging consultation with people affected by prostate cancer, The Prostate Cancer Charity has compiled a draft set of standards that set out what good quality care looks like.
The charity is calling on men who have been affected by prostate cancer and their
partners, as well as healthcare professionals, to provide feedback on the draft to ensure it accurately reflects the needs of men.
Once finalised, The Prostate Cancer Charity will be asking the Scottish Government to implement the standards across the country, to ensure that men will have the same expectations of care wherever they live.
Mr Henry said, "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in Scotland, which is why I believe it's essential we know exactly what people affected by the disease require and expect from our health service.
"I am therefore delighted to back calls for national standards of care, and would urge anyone with direct or indirect experience of the disease to feed back on The Prostate Cancer Charity's draft document.
Men everywhere deserve quality prostate cancer care, and delivering that is what this initiative is all about."
Owen Sharp, chief executive of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "It's fantastic that MSP Hugh Henry has backed our call, and look I forward working with him over the months ahead to make this a reality.
"We need national standards of quality prostate cancer care to ensure that healthcare providers and NHS staff know exactly what services and level of care they should be providing to patients. We also need to ensure that men who have, or are concerned about, prostate cancer know exactly what level of care and support they are entitled to receive.
"Before we finalise our standards we need to be absolutely clear that they reflect what men with prostate cancer want - which is why we want to hear from as many people with experience of the disease as possible."
For more information visit www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/takeaction.
This article appeared in Barrhead News 06 Apr 12
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