“I was refused a health check by a GP practice in south London and it later emerged I had prostate cancer” – Southwark News

A black man who said he was initially refused a health check at a GP surgery in south London later found out he had prostate cancer after being tested for the disease.

Paul Campbell, 54, said he might not be here today if he hadn’t stood his ground and demanded regular testing for the disease. He has since left the practice in Greenwich.

Mr Campbell, chief executive of Cancer Black Care – a charity that aims to support black people with cancer treatment with support groups across London – tells his story after a Prostate Cancer Research survey reported in the Guardian found One in four black men diagnosed with cancer refused to be tested by their doctor.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK, accounting for more than a quarter of cases. Black men are twice as likely to develop the disease as the overall adult male population.

Mr Campbell, who says he first requested a test for the disease aged 42 after seeing an NHS advert, told the Local Democracy Service: “I had a health check which was a PSA test included [a test for prostate cancer]but I was hindered and rejected. They told me they wouldn’t provide it. I became assertive and had to raise my voice and constantly fight for my opinion in order to pass the exam. They were very hesitant to give it to me.”

Mr Campbell says he eventually convinced the practice to sign him up for a PSA test, which was repeated regularly every few years. After completing the test in 2018 at the age of 49, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, although he had no symptoms.

He said: “If I hadn’t taken my test I might not have found out until stage four, which is too late. At every cancer conference I attend I hear [from medical professionals] that these tests will not be rejected. However, I have personally experienced being denied one.

“This is an ongoing problem with men of all ethnic groups being denied access to these important tests. These investigations are vital – they have the potential to save lives.”

Mr Campbell said there also needs to be more education and awareness about the importance of early screening, particularly among black men who are more likely to develop the disease.

The South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is responsible for NHS services in Greenwich as well as Bexley, Bromley, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, said it had sent almost 14,800 black men over 45 for a PPE as part of an initiative SMS invited introduced in January 2023.

The message is sent to men over 45 with a family history of prostate cancer and to black men over 45, regardless of family history. Between January 2023 and August 2024, 2,375 black men received a PSA result and 30 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed as a result of the program.