Patrick Vernon

I welcome the recent Government announcement recognising the importance of increasing the participation of Black men in clinical trials. Improving representation in research is an important step towards tackling longstanding health inequalities and ensuring that prevention, diagnosis and treatment pathways are effective for everyone.

However, this announcement raises an important question: if the evidence is strong enough to justify targeted action to improve participation in clinical trials, why is there still no consideration of a national screening programme for Black men, despite the significantly higher risks they face from prostate cancer?

Countries such as the United States and several European nations have recognised the need for more targeted approaches to screening high-risk populations. Yet in the UK, Black men continue to face barriers to early diagnosis despite being at greater risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer.

The failure of the national screening bodies to undertake a comprehensive Equality Impact Assessment, combined with a lack of meaningful engagement with Black men, community organisations and frontline clinicians, exposes serious flaws in the current approach. It reflects an ongoing colour-blind approach to tackling health inequalities—one that too often treats equality as sameness rather than recognising differing levels of risk and need.

If we are serious about reducing health inequalities, there must be a stronger commitment from the NHS and Government to improve national awareness, increase early detection, strengthen prevention strategies and develop targeted screening pathways for those most at risk.

Black men deserve more than acknowledgement. They deserve action, investment and policies that reflect the evidence and save lives.

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