North Yorkshire Council
Scrutiny of Health Committee
3 October 2025
Prostate Cancer Screening and Awareness
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To support the Committee in its consideration of a Notice of Motion referred from Council.
2.0 SUMMARY
2.1 At the meeting of the Council on 16 July 2025, the following motion was moved by Councillor Andrew Murday (seconded by Councillor Andrew Timothy).
This Council, recognising that prostate cancer can develop without obvious symptoms, will write to the Secretary of State for health and social care Wes Streeting, seeking a reassurance that a national testing scheme will be made available to men aged 40+ and those men with a family history of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer as a priority supporting Prostate cancer UK’s “Faster Fairer Better campaign”.
This Council will promote an awareness campaign by publishing the risk to certain groups and to promote awareness by siting posters in male toilets and the council-owned estate such as council offices, depots, and leisure centres encouraging men over 40 and those most at risk to ask their doctor for a PSA blood test to detect more cases early in the progress of the disease.
It has been requested that this Motion be debated on the day of Council and not referred to a committee for consideration. The reason given by the proposers is:
That the issue of prostate cancer screening is very important as a public health issue, and hopefully the actions which the motion asks for are not politically controversial and require very little in terms of resource. I believe that referral to the executive or to health scrutiny will not serve any useful purpose.
2.2 After being debated at the Council meeting, the motion was referred to the Scrutiny Board for further consideration by a Scrutiny committee. The Chair of the Scrutiny Board recommended that the Scrutiny of Health committee review the matter. This proposal was agreed upon via email by members of the Scrutiny Board, including the Chair of Scrutiny of Health, on 18 July 2025.
2.3 An initial discussion was held at the Scrutiny of Health Mid-Cycle Briefing on 18 July 2025. During that meeting, the following points were considered:
a) The need to ensure the report contained a thorough and detailed background of the national approach to screening, including ongoing trials and the position of central government.
b) A desire to engage Public Health colleagues to ascertain what messaging was currently in place.
c) The fact that in broad terms, the motion contained two linked but distinct issues, namely a national cancer screening programme and a proposed communications campaign from council-owned offices and buildings.
3.0 ROLE OF THE SCRUTINY OF HEALTH COMMITTEE
3.1 This report provides the committee with a foundation for considering the Notice of Motion and its implications. Colleagues from Public Health have provided input which is included at Appendix A.
3.2 The Committee has the following options:
a) Agree the proposal:
i. Agree no further information is required at this stage;
ii. that the proposal as worded is agreed by the Committee;
iii. and a recommendation to progress the proposal as written in 2.1 will go to the next meeting of Council on 12 November 2025.
b) Agree the proposal, with amendments:
i. Agree no further information is required at this stage;
ii. that an amended wording is agreed by the Committee;
iii. and a recommendation to progress the proposal as amended by the Committee goes to the next meeting of Council on 12 November 2025.
c) Not agree the proposal:
i. Agree no further information is required at this stage;
ii. that a recommendation to not progress the proposal is considered at the next meeting of Council on 12 November 2025.
3.3 Members are reminded that, at the next meeting of Council, the Committee’s recommendation will be voted upon there without any further debate, as set in Council Procedure Rule 11.1 (i).
4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
4.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report.
5.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
5.1 There are no significant legal implications arising from this report.
6.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
6.1 There are no significant equalities implications arising from this report.
7.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
7.1 There are no significant climate change implications arising from this report.
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8.0 |
RECOMMENDATION(S)
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The Committee is asked to:
(a) note the report.
(b) agree its recommendation to the meeting of the Council on 12 November 2025:
i. Agree the proposal,
ii. Agree the proposal, with amendments,
iii. Not agree the proposal.
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A: Public Health Supporting Evidence – Prostate Cancer
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
None.
Barry Khan
Assistant Chief Executive, Legal and Democratic Services
County Hall
Northallerton
25 September 2025
Report Author:
Edward Maxwell, Senior Democratic Services Officer.
Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.