On Saturday 3 September 2022, the BBC1 South Today TV programme ran as their headline item an article on PCaSO’s PSA blood testing event that day at Care for Veterans, Worthing, where some 662 men were tested throughout the day. Well-known TV presenter Bill Turnbull had sadly succumbed to prostate cancer a few days before, so the disease briefly became a newsworthy item.
This is a transcript of the South Today item. The on-site filming involved just one reporter doing her own filming and sound.
Studio presenter: “A prostate cancer charity serving the South says more men have been turning up at a testing event today following this week’s news of the death of the BBC’s Bill Turnbull from the disease. The awareness day in Worthing was run by the Prostate Cancer Support Organisation which has tested close to 25,000 men since 2011, some of whom have found out they have cancer”.
Man 1 at the event: “My father-in-law’s got prostate cancer so I thought it was about time I got a test”.
Site Reporter: “Tony is among 650 men booked in for a simple blood test today”
PCaSO Chair Roger Bacon: “One in two men are going to have a prostate problem [emphasised] in their lifetime. Any man today who has a raised reading, will be recommended to make an appointment with his GP and get further checked up”.
Reporter: “The death of the BBC’s Bill Turnbull from the disease this week has given this event extra significance”.
Man 2: “Well I think it’s important to get tested, ‘specially now I’ve got to mid 50s, so with what’s in the news with Bill Turnbull…”
Roger: “We had about 20 spaces left and they went very very quickly following that news”.
Reporter: “These tests are aimed at men over 40, particularly those with a family history of the disease”.
Man 2: “Nobody really wants to talk about it, it’s a bit of a hush hush subject isn’t it?”.
Man 3: “Don’t talk about it at all, like most things”.
Cathy (Worthing Lions): “Each time we’ve worked with PCaSO on this, people have come back and said we could save someone’s life. Just the one or two that come through as positive, people can get treated”.
Roger: “Every man is entitled to a PSA test but unfortunately we find from men coming through to these events that they’ve been to their GP and the GP has refused them. Men need to get this test done before they get symptoms”.
Man 2: “Have to take the opportunity. It’s very simple, very quick”.
Man 3: “It’s like most things, if you get it sorted early it’s going to be easier to fix”.
Presenter: “And you can find out more about the charity’s [PSA blood] testing events by going to the website appearing on your screen now [pcaso.mypsatests.org.uk].