Lord Offord of Garvel, Reform UK’s Scottish leader, revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer on 7 May — the day he was elected to Holyrood — and has had surgery to remove his prostate. He says he is recovering well and urged men to get checked. The report also highlights controversy after England removed the automatic right to PSA tests for men over 50, while Scotland still allows requests after careful consideration. Campaigners warn narrower screening risks missing treatable cancers early.
Reform Leader Lord Offord Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis After Holyrood Election — Recovering After Surgery
Lord Offord says he had an operation to remove his prostate after his cancer diagnosis - Jane Barlow/PA Wire
Reform UK’s Scottish leader, Lord Offord of Garvel, 61, has revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer on 7 May — just hours before being elected to the Scottish Parliament — and has since undergone surgery to remove his prostate.
Offord, a former Conservative peer and Scotland minister, spoke about his treatment during an interview at the Edinburgh Fringe for the Political Party series, after comedian Matt Forde noticed he was wearing a medical wristband. Describing himself as "feeling good," he said the wristband was a clinical instruction to keep it on for 24 hours after a catheter was removed following the procedure.
He told the interviewer:
"I had a procedure last Wednesday to remove my prostate, so I am now clear. I went in yesterday to get the catheter bag removed and I was told to keep the band on for 24 hours, but I am feeling pretty good, so I think I will take it off at the end of the show."
Offord said being told of the diagnosis on the day his party won 17 Holyrood seats was "the weirdest thing." Asked whether cancer was worse than serving as an MSP, he quipped that while "the prostate is out and gone," he still faces "five more years of FMQs." He urged men to get checked, noting prostate problems are common in men his age and that modern medicine is effective at treating many cases.
Debate Over PSA Testing
The announcement comes amid a wider debate over prostate screening. Recent guidance in England removed the automatic entitlement for men over 50 to request a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test; GPs now decide who should be offered testing. The UK Government has rejected a broad national screening programme and instead introduced a narrow targeted programme for a small group of genetically high-risk men.
Campaigners and some politicians have criticised the change. Lord Cameron described it as a "backwards step," arguing that screening helps catch cancers early when treatment is most effective. In Scotland, men over 50 can still request a PSA test after a careful discussion of the pros and cons; GPs may refuse if they believe it is not appropriate, but patients are able to seek another clinician's opinion, according to Prostate Scotland.
Offord’s announcement has renewed calls from advocates for clearer, more accessible testing pathways, and served as a reminder for men to discuss prostate health with their doctors.
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