“Early diagnosis saves lives”

Over 50 Unite reps attended the launch of Unite South West Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign at Tony Benn House in Bristol, as well as online, yesterday (28 Sept).

The campaign launch was opened by Kevin Daws, an active member of the Unite South West Disabled Members Committee who asked the question of “Why are we launching this campaign Today?”

Kevin went on to explain that, “1 in 8 men and 1 in 4 Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and in the South West alone 6,300 men, or those born with a prostate, were diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, and 1200 men die of Prostate Cancer every year in the region.”

However, despite these sobering statistics there is no screening programme in the UK and at the same time GPs will resist or reject requests for PSA Tests.

Kevin stressed, “The simple truth is that ‘Early Diagnosis saves lives”.”

The campaign was launched in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, the leading campaign group who worked with Unite to compile a Campaign Pack and Tool kit for Unite reps to use in their workplace.

The Campaign Pack includes a lot of useful facts and figures, tips for negotiating with your employer, the Prostate Cancer Workplace Protocol, a Model Letter to your employer, a Model Branch Newsletter, as well as the QR Code for the Prostate Cancer UK 30 Second Risk Checker.

In the introduction to the Campaign Pack, Matt Allan, the Unite Regional Secretary for the South West said: “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Unite South West is proud to launch our campaign, in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the risk it poses to our members and their families.

“With no nationwide screening programme for prostate cancer, late-stage diagnoses in the South West are unfortunately rising; 24% of men in the South West diagnosed with prostate cancer were diagnosed with stage four disease. Diagnosis at such a late stage reduces treatment options and the treatments can have harsher side-effects.”

As well as a workshop on the campaign materials, myth busting, and empowerment sessions, members heard from Prostate Cancer UK, along with personal stories of those affected by the disease and Unite’s National Health & Safety Officer, Rob Miguel.

Peter Bass, member of the Unite South West Disabled Members Committee, shared his personal experience where his prostate cancer was only discovered because he had a MRI scan for another condition, it was discovered by accident. Peter’s was a late-stage diagnosis.

The campaign launch included briefings about the personal impact of Prostate Cancer on a number of people, the bigger impact on black members and LGBT+ members.

The meeting concluded with the Unite South West Regional Equalities Officer, Lorraine Gibbs, calling on all those present to return to their workplaces and use the Campaign Tool Kit to continue the campaign.

Lorraine said “We shall be rolling this campaign out across the Region to as many workplaces as possible and would welcome invitations to come and speak to your members and your employers.”

The campaing in the South West region follows on the work of a similar campaign from Unite NEYH last year.

Resources from the campaign launch are available from [email protected] and will soon be available from the new South West Regional Equality Hub. 

By Keith Hatch

Photos by Unite South West