Wes Streeting hints at chance of a national prostate screening
Wes Streeting has signalled his support for a national prostate cancer screening programme for men.
The Health Secretary told MPs he would 'like to see' the NHS proactively offer men tests for the disease.
The UK's National Screening Committee is currently assessing whether or not a national screening programme should be rolled out, and if so, what test should be used.
The current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a blood test which is used to check for prostate conditions including prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate, but not routinely offered because of fears of overdiagnosis.
Men over the age of 50 can ask their GP for a PSA test, even if they do not have symptoms.
Asked whether he would like to see a national prostate cancer screening programme for men at high risk of the disease, Mr Streeting told the House of Commons' Health and Social Care Committee: 'I would like to see that.
'But, and this is such an important but, decisions in this area do need to be evidence-based and evidence-led, and that's why we have a National Screening Committee.
'So I've asked the National Screening Committee to look at this, and they are.
'I think there is an even more compelling case around groups that are at higher risk of prostate cancer.
'But ultimately - and I think this is where as politicians we have such a responsibility to kind of sometimes resist the temptation to sign every petition or to sign up to every campaign.
'We've got to make sure that decisions we make are evidence-led and evidence-based.'
He also admitted to MPs on the committee his plans to cut NHS bureaucracy could cost £1 billion in redundancy payouts.
The combined costs of abolishing NHS England – the quango responsible for running the health service – and axing tens of thousands of office-based jobs across the country is likely to hit eight figures.
The Health Secretary also suggested some of the funds to cover redundancy packages could come directly from the Treasury rather than from the Department of Health 's existing budget.
The Telegraph previously revealed that cutting 50 per cent of staff across NHS England and the Department could cost up to £800 million.
Plans to go further and slash operational costs at England's 42 integrated care boards (ICBs), which oversee local NHS services, could take this figure past £1 billion.
Asked by MPs about the potential cost of his NHS reforms hitting £1 billion, Mr Streeting said it was not an 'unreasonable ballpark figure'.
'We won't know the precise numbers until we have confirmed what the ultimate size and shape of the organisation will be, the impact in terms of head count, and how much it will cost in order to treat people fairly whose jobs are at risk, and then whose jobs are not carried forward,' he said.
'But I didn't think that was an unreasonable ballpark figure, and I would kind of justify that cost on the basis of the fact we will more than pay for that in terms of the savings that are achieved year on year,' he added.
Mr Streeting said there had been a tendency to 'look at some of the costs of change and transformation and think, 'oh, we're not going to bother, this is in the too difficult box', and we just can't afford to do that as a country any longer'.
'I would argue that we should have done this a long time ago,' he added.
Sir Jim Mackey, the new NHS England chief executive, added that there would be 'a really significant, rapid return on investment', and that he had 'started the discussion with Treasury about how redundancy costs are managed'.
The pair also suggested that Rachel Reeves could stump up some of the cash to pay off NHS staff either through compulsory or voluntary redundancy packages.
When asked about where the money would come from, the pair said it was 'subject to discussion with the Treasury' and had 'not been agreed yet'.
The plans will see about 50 per cent of the 15,300 staff at NHS England and 3,300 staff at the Department made redundant.
Mr Streeting told MPs this figure was calculated based on duplication of roles, devolving more power to local areas and potential savings, but that he was not 'so dogmatic that if we ended up just below 50 per cent, or just above 50 per cent, that I would be feeling like we failed one way or another'.
Meanwhile, ICBs currently employ about 25,000 staff. If they are cut by 50 per cent, along with staff working at the centre, it would mean more than 20,000 redundancies in total.
Under current NHS redundancy rules, staff get one month's pay for every year's service up to a maximum of £80,000.
A previous round of 951 voluntary redundancies and early retirements in the period of 2022-23 cost the health service £75 million, amounting to an average of £79,000 per employee.
The Department of Health has also paid nearly £450 million in the past five years to staff in the Department and its agencies who have taken voluntary or compulsory redundancy.
The Health Secretary has previously said the cost of running NHS England amounts to £2 billion per year.
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Dose strength is partly based on size and pretending you are fatter than you are could mean you end up with a medication too strong for your body, raising the risk of serious side effects. The most common side effects from the injections include feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea or other gut troubles. If not treated properly people can suffer more serious impacts like dehydration, gallstones, pancreatitis or allergic reactions – and more than 100 deaths in the UK have so far been linked to the jabs. The General Pharmaceutical Council issued new rules in February to say that all pharmacies must verify a patient's height and weight, and conduct at least a video call – if not face-to-face appointment – before prescribing weight loss injections. Advertisement Dr Emily Pegg, associate vice president at Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, said: 'This is still a prescription-only medicine, should only be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional and needs to be dispensed by a registered pharmacy. 'It is not something that people should be able to buy by just going out and going on to a social media site and clicking a button and it gets delivered to them. 'That is not appropriate and is probably illegal. 'Patient safety is a high priority.' Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. 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Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Future of fat jabs WHILE the Mounjaro rollout is expected to kick off with a whimper and not a bang, it is hoped it will mark the beginning of a new era in weight loss medicine. Advertisement Brits have been getting gradually fatter for decades and no medication or government policy has managed to beat the bulge. The drugs appear super-effective, reasonably priced and relatively safe, and could help millions slim down after failed diets. 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The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Are YOU eligible for free fat jabs on the NHS? As GPs start dishing out Mounjaro – all you need to know
THEY are arguably the biggest medical breakthrough of recent times. And from Monday, so-called ' fat jab s' will be made available to many more Brits on the NHS. In what marks the dawn of a new era, GPs will begin prescribing the weight-loss jab Mounjaro in the first anti- obesity rollout of its kind. More than three million people are thought to be eligible for tirzepatide - the active drug in Mounjaro - the strongest jab on the market. Health chiefs hope it will turn the tide on England's obesity crisis which has seen rates double since the 1990s. Injections including Ozempic and Wegovy have previously only been available for type 2 diabetes or through specialist slimming clinics. Family doctors will now be encouraged to prescribe them in a bid to get more people on the meds. Experts hope widespread use will slash work sick days and boost the economy, while reducing rates of cancer, heart disease and dementia. But demand for the drugs is already huge and NHS clinics cannot dish them out fast enough. Here is everything you need to know as the rollout begins: What is Mounjaro and what has it been used for so far? 5 FOR anyone who has missed the frenzy, Mounjaro, aka tirzepatide, is the newest weight loss injection used on the NHS. It has been around since 2022 and triggers fullness hormones in the gut to prevent hunger and over-eating. This works the same as older jabs Wegovy and Ozempic, all known as GLP-1 agonists, but a recent trial showed it is more effective. A head-to-head study in the New England Journal of Medicine found Mounjaro caused 20 per cent weight loss over 18 months, while semaglutide – the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic – led to 14 per cent. All the jabs were originally invented to treat type 2 diabetes but trials found they could also cause major weight loss. Pharma firms have cashed in on the discovery and UK prescriptions have skyrocketed. NHS prescriptions of Mounjaro in England surged from just 3,300 in 2023 to 1.1million last year, and more than a million people are estimated to be buying it online. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons Who will be eligible in the new rollout? THE new rollout starting on Monday will allow GPs to prescribe tirzepatide for weight loss, starting with those patients whose weight places them at greatest health risk. Top of the list will be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher and four weight-related health conditions. A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5'3' woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5'9' man. Weight-related conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease. Patients will likely be expected to have tried diet and exercise first before being offered a jab. Many are likely to miss out, as some 13.5million adults in England are obese but only 3.4million are estimated to be eligible in the rollout. How will the rollout be run and what is new? 5 WHAT'S new is that the rollout will be the first run by NHS primary care, led by GP surgeries. In theory this should make life easier for patients – but GPs will not be able to meet the huge demand. NHS bosses have admitted it will take a staggering 12 years to treat everyone who is eligible. Just 220,000 extra people are likely to get Mounjaro by 2028. Private prescriptions, costing about £100-£150 per month, already vastly outnumber that and are rising. Health Secretary Wes Streeting wants a faster rollout and more widespread use of the drugs but patients must also receive regular check-ups and lifestyle help. Officials are investigating whether they can dish them out through pharmacies or the NHS app to take a load off GPs. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said: 'These drugs have the potential to help millions. 'If the government and NHS are serious about prevention they need to reconsider their position on the speed of the rollout of these drugs.' Professor John Deanfield, a heart doctor at University College London, added: 'These drugs provide a real opportunity to delay many diseases of ageing all at the same time and potentially transform society. 'I hope it won't take 10 years to do something that is so needed.' What if my GP says no? MANY people are expected to miss out and some surgeries are already pouring cold water on patients' hopes. Fairhill Medical Practice in Kingston upon Thames said: 'Once we are able to prescribe weight loss injections they will be offered to those with the highest medical need only, which may mean that a lot of patients will be disappointed.' Millions who meet the prescription criteria will simply have to be denied the drugs because doctors are so busy. On top of everything else England's 6,300 doctors' surgeries have to deal with, they do not have the capacity to offer the necessary long-term supervision for millions more people at once. Experts reckon private prescriptions will rocket even more as frustrated patients give up waiting. If you are eligible but your GP denies you a prescription, you may be able to ask for a referral to specialist weight management services. Known as tier 2 and tier 3 weight management services, they may prescribe the jabs after other weight loss attempts. Many people are expected to find it easier to go private, with the injections widely available from high street pharmacies like Boots, Superdrug, and even Asda. Olivier Picard, of the National Pharmacy Association, said: 'NHS provision won't meet demand straight away, so we fully expect that many people will continue seeking it privately.' Advice for people buying them privately BUYING the drugs online might seem like the faster fix – but buyer beware. Slimming success stories are everywhere but so, too, are tales of horror. Many patients have been duped by dodgy sellers, suffered severe side effects or even died after taking jabs they bought online. Bargain prices, easy tick-box applications, or prescriptions with no follow-up, should all be red flags to online shoppers. Many pharmacies have been rapped for giving them away to people who do not meet the obesity criteria, potentially putting their health at risk. Dose strength is partly based on size and pretending you are fatter than you are could mean you end up with a medication too strong for your body, raising the risk of serious side effects. The most common side effects from the injections include feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea or other gut troubles. If not treated properly people can suffer more serious impacts like dehydration, gallstones, pancreatitis or allergic reactions – and more than 100 deaths in the UK have so far been linked to the jabs. The General Pharmaceutical Council issued new rules in February to say that all pharmacies must verify a patient's height and weight, and conduct at least a video call – if not face-to-face appointment – before prescribing weight loss injections. Dr Emily Pegg, associate vice president at Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, said: 'This is still a prescription-only medicine, should only be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional and needs to be dispensed by a registered pharmacy. 'It is not something that people should be able to buy by just going out and going on to a social media site and clicking a button and it gets delivered to them. 'That is not appropriate and is probably illegal. 'Patient safety is a high priority.' Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Future of fat jabs WHILE the Mounjaro rollout is expected to kick off with a whimper and not a bang, it is hoped it will mark the beginning of a new era in weight loss medicine. Brits have been getting gradually fatter for decades and no medication or government policy has managed to beat the bulge. The drugs appear super-effective, reasonably priced and relatively safe, and could help millions slim down after failed diets. They are expected to reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes, cancer and dementia. And studies increasingly show they improve health in other ways on top of weight loss, too, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. NHS medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, believes they could one day be as transformative as cholesterol-lowering statins, which have slashed heart attacks since they were rolled out decades ago. Prof Powis said: 'I think over time it's highly likely that these drugs will become more widespread. 'I think there will be a combination of increased evidence of positive outcomes and costs dropping, and we will learn better how to deploy them. 'This is very exciting – we're in the foothills of learning how to use them.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
NHS plan for all babies to undergo genome sequencing after birth
Labour plans to invest £650 million into DNA technology to proactively treat serious illnesses. Health secretary Wes Streeting stated this initiative aims to "leapfrog" diseases by predicting and preventing them. Reports suggest that within a decade, all babies could undergo whole genome sequencing as part of this drive. The investment supports the government's 10-year NHS plan, which prioritizes technology, prevention, community care, and digital services. This strategy seeks to provide personalized healthcare, reduce pressure on NHS services, and follows a recent £29 billion annual increase in NHS funding.
