Steven Laitner

"If, as a system, we want to improve chronic disease management? We need to switch our focus to the people with the chronic disease themselves, and to providing equitable access to all three principles of self management, peer support, and trained professionals" Via @bmj_latest bmj.com/content/373/bm…

@Kit_Yates_Maths Mismanagement, yes. But chronic underfunding is hard to argue when the NHS added nearly 25% more doctors in the last 5 years.

I am disappointed by today’s recommendation on prostate cancer screening from the National Committee. Targeted screening is a natural first step - but the recommendation today is far too targeted, not including black men or men with a family history, both high-risk groups. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among British men. We are letting down too many men if we don’t push for a wider screening programme that includes all high-risk groups - and not just the men involved, but their families too, who risk losing a loved one unnecessarily. As I know all too well, prostate cancer can be symptomless early on. That’s why screening is so essential - catching the cancers early when they can be more effectively and successfully treated, like in my own case. I urge @wesstreeting and the government to be brave and bold on this crucial issue. Make the first step more significant than what’s being recommended. Put in place a proper, targeted screening programme that involves all those at higher-risk. Without it, more men will die, more families will lose a loved one. This is avoidable and can be done.