Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a proactive screening programme for prostate cancer for men over the age of 50.
Scotland follows the advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), the independent expert body that advises all four UK nations on screening programmes.
The UK NSC currently does not recommend prostate screening for the general population of men over the age of 50. It has found that there is not yet a suitably accurate test for a national screening programme of asymptomatic men, and there is currently insufficient evidence that the benefits of screening outweigh the risks.
The UK NSC is monitoring ongoing studies and emerging evidence closely and will consider whether new evidence supports expanding their recommended eligibility criteria for prostate cancer screening. Should they recommend screening the general male population aged 50 and over, we will work with the NHS to take that forward in Scotland.