Who should take the test?

Men between the ages of 40 and 80. For details please view this video.

​The facts: Why test men?

• One man every hour dies in the UK from prostate cancer.
  
• There are 40,000 new cases in the UK every year.
  
• Unlike Breast cancer there is no national screening available for Prostate Cancer.
  
• Providing a PSA blood test to as many men between 40 and 80 as possible can result in early detection and treatment that is vastly likely to increase a man's chances of survival.

How would we run a Screening Event?

 The simplest way is to undertake it in partnership with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust. (GFCT)
Currently 22 Lions clubs in the UK have partnered with them to run screening events.
GFCT will :-

• Take all the online bookings, plus money if required
• provide all the paperwork
• provide the medical equipment
• all insurance for the phlebotomists
• arrange for all the lab tests
• issue all the results to those having the blood test

Thornbury Lions (and any partners, if they so wished) would provide:

• All local advertising of the screening event (e.g. Pubs, Clubs, U3A, WI, TWG, Societies, Leisure Centre, Churches, Doctors & Dentists Surgeries, Shops, Press, Radio etc)
• A location for the screening  ( A space sufficient for up to 4 phlebotomist stations, plus reception desk)
• 2 receptionists
• Tea/Coffee facilities
• any general 'gophering' required on the day. (Note: it is preferable  to plan screening events for a weekend if you want to ensure men of working age are more easily able to attend)​

How much will it cost?

GFCT advised that to organise an event

• They have a minimum requirement of bookings for 60 tests at a cost of £26 a test.  However should there be any 'no shows' on the day we will not be charged for them. 
  
• This covers, all supplies, phlebotomists, laboratory testing, couriers, use of their booking site, telephone helpline and insurance.
• They require a table and 2 chairs for each Phlebotomist
• Men register on their booking site and make an appointment – they do not provide a walk-in option and must follow NHS guidelines.
• It is a simple blood test taken from a vein in the arm.
• The results are emailed 24 – 36 hours later with the relevant letter advising the next steps (if any)

I asked the following further questions

1. What is the expected duration of a screening event? It depends on the numbers. 60 men with one phlebotomist will take about 4 hours
2. Is there any restriction on starting times? We normally start at 10.00am to give our phlebotomists time to travel and set up.
3. What is the maximum number of tests you can handle at an event? There is no maximum we can increase the number of phlebotomists and extend the hours
4. Can an event be held on a weekend?  Yes we can undertake an event any day of the week. There is no additional cost for a weekend.

We would decide on:-

• the maximum number of persons to be screened at the event, dependent upon our budget etc.
• how much of the cost, if any, would be borne by those signing up to the screening
• whether to offer other local organisations the opportunity to partner with us in sponsoring the event and sharing the costs (e.g. Rotary, Round Table, Thornbury & District League of Friends)

Below is a mock-up only of how we might advertise such an event