Michael Matheson MSP has backed a Prostate Cancer UK initiative to help men with prostate cancer receive the best possible care and support regardless of where they live in Scotland.
Prostate Cancer UK’s ‘Quality Checklist: Your Standards of Care’ outlines the support men with prostate cancer expect and deserve from the health service through every step of their treatment journey. The checklist has been produced following a thorough and wide-ranging consultation with men who have been affected by the disease, as well as their families, health care professionals and policy makers. It advises men about information, care and support they should expect and demand, based on the experiences of men who have had the disease.
Prostate Cancer UK produced the Quality Checklist after an initial survey showed a wide variation in the experience of care that men with prostate cancer receive. The Scottish Government’s Quality Performance Indicators (QPIs) for Prostate Cancer are welcomed by the charity as a step in the right direction. However, these have a very clinical focus. Prostate Cancer UK’s Quality Checklist is patient-focussed and has been produced to complement the QPIs and ensure men receive the best possible care and support.
In backing the Quality Checklist at the SNP’s recent autumn conference in Perth, Michael Matheson MSP said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Scottish men and is predicted to be the most common cancer overall by 2030. It is therefore incredibly important that we do all we can to ensure all men affected by the disease get the care and support they need. I am therefore delighted to back Prostate Cancer UK’s Quality Checklist to assist with this process, and call on NHS Forth Valley to ensure it is adopted as soon as possible.”
Ann Ferguson, Head of Scotland Operations at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We are delighted that Michael Matheson MSP has shown his support for men with prostate cancer by endorsing our Quality Checklist.
“It is unacceptable that the quality of care and support experienced by men with prostate cancer varies across the country. In order to address this we hope that our Quality Checklist is widely adopted and implemented by Health Boards throughout Scotland. Men with prostate cancer deserve the best, and Prostate Cancer UK is absolutely determined to ensure that’s exactly what they get.”
Over the next year, Prostate Cancer UK will work closely with Health Boards, charity partners, politicians and healthcare professionals to ensure the checklist is adopted and implemented throughout Scotland.
To view the Quality Checklist please visit prostatecanceruk.org/qualitycare
