Following a hugely successful fundraising effort which saw over £200,000 raised by Guildford charity the Prostate Project, the area’s first mobile PSA Blood Testing Clinic, or ‘Man Van’ has now been delivered.
The vehicle will tour Surrey, Sussex, and thanks to an arrangement with a Warwickshire based charity, throughout the midlands and the south of England, raising awareness of prostate cancer, and offering PSA blood tests to men aged 45 and over.
Martin Davies, Chairman of the Prostate Project explains the importance of the new service.
‘’On August 16th, we will officially hand over the keys to this specially adapted vehicle, marking the culmination of two-years hard work by supporters, trustees, and patrons of our charity. Once on the road, the ‘Man Van’ will be visiting communities, social and sporting events, concert venues, and golf clubs taking the Get Tested message far and wide.
(Prof Stephen Langley, Martin Davies and Louise Stead, CEO of the Royal Surrey, cutting the ribbon to the Man Van)
The original purpose of the Mobile Clinic was to help the NHS catch-up with tests missed during and after the pandemic, but such was the success of the programme, that we are now able to divert its main function into the areas where it is needed most.
Now, working with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust, we will be able to reach far more people than we had originally anticipated, meaning quite simply that we can save and prolong the lives of even more men.’’
Prostate Cancer kills more than 12,000 men each year in the UK, and often there are no symptoms in the early stages. The PSA Blood Test gives an indication of those that are most at risk, this is especially important as with early detection, prostate cancer is one of the most curable, and manageable cancers.
Stephen Langley, Professor and Clinical Director of Urology at the Royal Surrey County Hospital has been one of the major driving forces behind this project says
“This wonderful Man Van superbly compliments our world-class Stokes Centre for Urology and will help us detect prostate cancer in men before it causes any symptoms. Our regional NHS targeted screening program, working closely with local GP surgeries, has tested the PSA of 22,000 men and shown the importance of early detection of prostate cancer at a stage when it is at its most curable.
I believe our Man Van will help improve both the awareness of prostate cancer and our ability to test for the disease and so improve men’s chance of beating it.”
Now in its 25th year as a charity, the Prostate Project has raised more than £11 million to help in the research, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer, and has been instrumental in making Surrey one of the leading centres of excellence for this type of work in the world.
Martin is obviously keen to thank everyone that has helped.
‘For us to deliver this life-saving vehicle in our anniversary year is a source of great pride to everyone at the Prostate Project, and to do so outside the Stokes Centre for Urology, a world-class facility that we helped to build, is testimony to the remarkable efforts of so many wonderful people and organisations.
Arranging a PSA Blood Test
Thank you for taking the positive step towards arranging a PSA Blood Test for yourself, or a loved one,
As you may have seen in the press or heard on the radio, the Prostate Project has a brand new ‘Man Van’, a mobile PSA Blood Testing Clinic that will be at events in southeast England, helping to save and prolong the lives of men by providing access to tests.
The vehicle was purchased following an 18-month fundraising campaign, and everyone at the Prostate Project would once again like to thank every single person that helped in this remarkable effort.
In additional good news, we have partnered with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust and Cancer Testing South so that even more men over the age of 50 will have access to a PSA Test. We are currently working hard to arrange the testing schedule and choosing locations for the Man Van to visit…so please keep an eye out for dates near you.
In the meantime, you can book a PSA test via the Cancer Testing South website.
Alternatively, you can contact your GP or primary health provider and ask for a free PSA Blood Test
You can also read more about the Man Van on the BBC News website
As Prostate Cancer often has no symptoms in its early stages, the PSA Test is a life-saving indicator that things might not be right, and the sooner you, or a loved one, gets tested the better.
Caught early, Prostate Cancer is treatable and manageable, so well done on taking the first step.
