Biography
Lord Beamish has engaged on health and social care primarily through debate speeches, with particular focus on cancer screening—especially prostate cancer, where he drew on personal experience of recent diagnosis to advocate for wider PSA testing and highlight resulting health inequalities between affluent and poorer communities. He has also raised concerns about mental health service provision, specifically regarding support for individuals affected by online extremism and specialist housing for those leaving mental health units, alongside contributions on learning disability and autism detention under the Mental Health Act.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“My Lords, the problem with prostate cancer is that most men do not have symptoms; it was certainly like that in my case. The Minister said that wide screening would lead to worsening outcomes, but I am sorry: being alive is far better than the alternative.”
Record by topic
- Mental health290th of 88012.0
- Cancer230th of 6226.0
- Heart disease & stroke324th of 3982.0
- Health inequalities245th of 2882.0
- Learning disability & autism756th of 8992.0
- Public health & prevention573rd of 6882.0
What they’ve said
“…I first got interested when I was the chair of public health in Newcastle in the 1990s. As the Member of Parliament for North Durham, I took a particular interest in this because of the actions of a company called Niramax in the north-east of England.”
Environment Agency: Waste Crime · 2026-02-12 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last February. I had no symptoms. I was going as normal for my yearly health check at my local GP surgery when a nurse suggested that the PSA test might be appropriate because of my age.”
Prostate Cancer · 2025-09-03 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…But what about individuals who are not on active service but who, for example, are affected by mental health problems or injuries they have sustained, and find it difficult to get redress for those things, which are a result of their service? How would that be covered? Would the commissioner be able to look at those in…”
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill · 2025-03-24 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…I certainly know that, when I was in the Ministry of Defence and talking to reservists, the issue of mental health was one that particularly concerned me. In a regular unit, there is a welfare structure around them, but the individual who goes back to their individual work or home can feel very isolated.”
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill · 2025-03-24 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…If an individual, for example, has been on operations, has mental health problems, and has been detached from his unit for a while and is trying to get help, he is not technically covered by service law in those situations.”
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill · 2025-03-24 · Read on Hansard ↗
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