Easdale Brothers Support Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative

James and Sandy Easdale

Greenock is taking the lead in a nationwide effort to improve prostate cancer outcomes.

A major new Scottish Prostate Cancer Initiative is aiming to improve early detection and diagnosis of the disease, with Greenock and the wider Inverclyde area at the heart of the project following a recent pilot.

The campaign is backed by Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, Scotland rugby international Kenny Logan and leading businessman Sir Tom Hunter.

Sandy Easdale, co-owner of McGill’s Buses, said: "We are proud to support the initiative and are particularly pleased to have hosted the very first events in Greenock, Inchinnan and Johnstone.

"The response has been fantastic and we’re looking forward to hosting more events in the weeks and months to come."

His brother and fellow McGill’s Buses co-owner, James Easdale, said: "Prostate cancer remains one of the most common cancers in men in Scotland, and we’re committed to raising awareness and encouraging more men to come forward and be tested.

"We’re pleased to be hosting events in the east of Scotland as well as the events we have had in Inverclyde."

The initiative plans to offer free PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) blood testing to 25,000 men across Scotland aged 40 to 80.

Testing events have already taken place in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire in late February and early March, through the support of employers like McGill’s Buses and the Easdale brothers.

More than 1,400 men were tested during the week-long pilot.

The first public testing events will be held in Renfrewshire this weekend and in Glasgow next week, with bookings now open for further events nationwide at www.scottishprostate.com.

Sir Chris Hoy said: "This project is a major step forward for prostate cancer testing.

"Not only can men benefit personally from an initial test, but they can also help shape the future of diagnosing this disease that impacts so many lives.

"I urge my fellow Scotsmen to go and be tested."

Professor Sir Chris Evans OBE, founder of EDX Medical, said: "This Initiative has tremendous potential to save lives and heralds a new era for prostate cancer diagnosis."

Participants will provide a simple blood sample, with further diagnostic research exploring the role of genetics and other biochemical markers in identifying the disease.

The findings will be made available to NHS Scotland.