Men invited to prostate cancer research programme; AI-generated doctors 'pose huge danger'; New report on inequities in adult social care
Men invited to join prostate cancer research programme
The NHS is contacting half a million men to invite them to join a major research programme to improve early detection and treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate Progress, led by PIF member Prostate Cancer Research and supported by the NHS’ DigiTrials recruitment service, is designed to speed up the development of better tests, treatments and care. Men who have had or are living with prostate cancer will receive letters and text messages explaining how they can register to take part in what is hoped will become one of the world’s largest prostate cancer research resources.
Read about the scheme, including its celebrity endorsers, on the NHS England website here.
Misleading AI-generated doctors pose ‘huge danger to public safety’
Misleading health claims online pose a “huge danger to public safety”, experts have warned, after research found AI-generated doctors are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health advice.
Read the full story on the Guardian here.
Report examines inequities in adult social care
A new report explores how inequities are experienced in adult social care by people drawing on care and support, and unpaid carers. How care inequities shape social care experiences was commissioned by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). This week also saw The ALLIANCE calling on the Scottish Government and parties across Scotland to make social care a national priority.
Read more and download the report on the SCIE website here.
Applications open for new Macmillan Q Lab
PIF partner Macmillan Cancer Support is inviting people from health, care and community organisations across the UK to join the Macmillan Q Lab. Over nine months, participants will collaborate to develop innovative solutions to improve holistic cancer care closer to people's homes. The programme, in collaboration with Q at the NHS Alliance, aims to create practical, equitable approaches that improve care for people living with cancer, particularly those in underserved communities.
Discover more on the Macmillan website here.
BBC launches Clickbait Clinic
Expert doctors and leading health content creators are joining Stacey Dooley for a new BBC series called Clickbait Clinic which aims to "separate wellness fact from social media fiction". The series will feature doctors and health content creators Dr Alex George and Dr Nighat Arif .
Find out more via the BBC website here.
Chance to add local focus to national stop smoking assets
Stoptober 2026 resources are now available to view and download from the Department of Health & Social Care's Campaign Resource Centre. There is a range of campaign assets to help encourage people to make a quit attempt this October, whilst signposting to a range of support. Many resources can be edited via Canva to allow organisations to add logos, local photos and signpost to local services. To access these links, email [javascript protected email address] with a brief explanation of how you plan to use the assets.
View the Stoptober campaign assets here.
Analysis highlights maternal health inequalities
A new analysis of 1.6 million births in England shows 1 in 5 women use emergency care services in the year after giving birth. The findings highlight significant inequalities linked to deprivation, ethnicity and pre-existing health conditions, many of which begin long before pregnancy. The report argues that improving maternity care alone is not enough and calls for a life-course approach to women's health.
Read the report from Nuffield Trust here.
Reading Well for mental health launch date
After surveying library staff about the preferred launch date, the Reading Agency has confirmed it will launch the Reading Well for mental health collection in May 2027. PIF sits on the advisory group for this collection, and we will update members when it is available.
Are library closures misogynistic?
CILIP Scotland's Kirsten MacQuarrie discussed the impact of library cuts on women on BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour. She argued that libraries help women in a whole range of ways – from providing employment to toddler groups – so closing them disproportionately affects them.
Listen to Kirsten here from 16.43.
Survey: AI in healthcare
Skills for Health is gathering feedback to understand how AI is being adopted across healthcare. The survey covers what’s working well, where there are challenges and what support staff need. It is open to all healthcare staff, whether or not they currently use AI tools, and takes around 10–12 minutes to complete.