A FORMER councillor who found a new lease of life after a medical trial is calling for the procedure to be made available on the NHS.
Shottery resident Ron Cockings was a district councillor for 16 years and a county councillor for eight.
He recently received treatment for an enlarged prostate and now says he has ‘practically forgotten’ he ever had the condition.
Enlarged prostate, or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, is a common condition in men over 50 and occurs when the prostate grows and blocks the flow of urine.
Retired engineer Ron found himself suffering from the most common symptoms, which included trouble and increased frequency going to the loo, and it even stopped him playing his beloved golf.
The dad-of-three said: “ You don’t notice the symptoms initially, it creeps up on you. The prostate starts growing and it presses on the bladder.
“You don’t go past a toilet, it’s not that I always needed to but I was so scared of being caught short. I found it so stressful.”
While 71-year-old Ron was in Warwick Hospital being treated for another condition he heard about a treatment called Urolift, which pushes the prostate to one side and stops the impact on the bladder.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently announced the procedure saved the NHS around £250 per patient and was less invasive with fewer side effects than the current treatment.
And now Ron – who was one of only ten people to receive the treatment at Warwick Hospital – is calling for the procedure to be made available on the NHS.
He said: “I am a member of Stratford Golf Club and play three or four times a week. Now I can do a round of golf like everyone else without interruptions and not being embarrassed about having to stop.
“It’s fantastic to forget you ever had a problem. It’s life-changing and everyone should have access to this treatment.”
Ron Cockings has practically ‘forgotten’ he ever had the condition. (s)
