A volunteer group offering a groundbreaking prostate cancer screening service has won a House of Commons commendation for its “life-saving work.”
The near 50-strong Durham District Prostate Cancer Group was founded more than two years ago and was the first of its kind in the region.
But it has paved the way for similar groups being formed in Sunderland, Darlington, Consett and Morpeth.
The group initially raised awareness of prostate cancer at indoor and outdoor events during the spring and summer.
Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy presents a copy of her Parliamentary Early Day Motion to volunteers from Durham District Prostate Cancer Group
Earlier this year, donations of £7,000 from the Durham City Freemen and Durham City Parish Council helped it offer free blood tests to men over 45 at local screening clinics for the first time.
The group hopes to hold another session before the end of the year.
With advice from the Cancer Screening Trust, the group launched the clinics on Facebook, with a County Durham specialist nurse carrying out the appointment-only tests.
Nearly 150 men attended the first two sessions. Blood tests flagged 12 men as “red”; each received a specialist’s letter and was referred to their GP for follow-up.
The volunteers meet monthly at Brawn’s Den pub in Brandon and have applied for charitable status, which they expect to secure soon.
Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy presents a copy of her Early Day Motion to members of Durham District Prostate Cancer Group
Members have received a copy of the Parliamentary Early Day Motion sponsored by Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy and backed by other MPs.
It reads: “This House commends the tireless work of the Durham District Prostate Cancer Group in their mission to raise awareness of prostate cancer and provide vital support to men and their families across County Durham.
“It welcomes their pioneering partnership with the Cancer Screening Trust which has moved beyond awareness-raising into the provision of life-saving clinical interventions.
“It highlights the success of their first event at Brandon Community Hall, where local men were provided with access to PSA blood tests and essential follow-up support, acknowledges this initiative represents a significant milestone, being a first for the Brandon community and the rest of County Durham, and recognises such grassroots community-based screening models are essential for men who may otherwise face barriers to early detection.”
The motion thanked the Durham District Prostate Cancer Group for its “dedication to public health” and wished it “every success” in expanding the screening programme across the region.
Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy meets members of Durham District Prostate Cancer Group and clinical support specialists
Group co-founder Les Cleckner, a retired maintenance-team craftsman at the University Hospital of North Durham, said the screening sessions were by appointment only.
But 14 men without appointments turned up for the second session, where 60 had been booked in, and were also tested.
“Prostate cancer is a silent killer which can be successfully treated, particularly if caught early,” said Mr Cleckner.
“Many GP practices are unable to offer screening to apparently healthy men because of the costs involved.
“We were taken by surprise, not least by the distance some men were prepared to travel, and we tried to accommodate as many of the unexpected arrivals as we could.”
Co-founder Peter Carr said: “Before our screening tests, the 12 men identified at our sessions were getting on with their lives, unaware of the potential threat they faced.
“They are the lucky ones, as are we, to have received help and support from a wide range of people at key stages of our development.
He said the parliamentary endorsement of the group’s work was another example of that “collective good fortune.”