Prostate charities work together

- because men's lives matter too

Look out for the launch of The Prostate Cancer Charter for Action at the end of January.  All the major organisations active in the field, sixteen in all, have signed up to a common action plan that will be developed during 2003.  Focussed charities such as Prostate Research Campaign UK, large general cancer charities including Cancer Research UK, Patient Support groups and the Associations of both Urological Surgeons and Nurses are included.

The five point action plan calls for the Government - to be open about how the targets in the NHS Prostate Cancer Plan 2000 are or are not being met, - to institute an ongoing male-friendly health education awareness campaign, challenging the notion that prostate problems are an inevitable part of ageing, - to ensure patient care is coordinated using a multi disciplinary team approach, - to take action on resources particularly in the areas of prostate pathologists, specialist nurses and research into more reliable test regimes, - to work more closely in partnership with the voluntary sector.

Agreement on the Charter for Action by all the major organisations in the field will ensure a common voice when speaking to Government.  All concerned are most grateful to the Great Universal Stores Group who are generously funding this joint endeavour to the tune of £100,000.  Their concern before contributing to the five point action plan was that for so long the various interested parties had not been able to work together in a meaningful way.  Now for the first time they will be able to do so.

We are hopeful that this initiative will herald an era when male prostatic and urological issues are allocated the attention and the resources they deserve.