Urinal mats in public places in England will begin to carry blood in pee cancer warnings for men, as part of a major new NHS earlier diagnosis drive.
Pubs, restaurants, shops, hotels and sports stadiums will be among the public places using the lifesaving mats with men’s workplaces also targeted.
The new findings also show that just over half of men in England use a public urinal at least once a week and the majority of men (71%) said they would be more likely to contact their GP practice if they saw messaging on a urinal mat and were experiencing blood in their pee.
“Cancer survival is at an all-time high, and we’re seeing more cancers than ever before being picked up at an early stage – and this partnership with P-wave is just one of the many ways we are helping people to be aware of possible cancer symptoms.
“While this initiative is about helping men to spot the signs of cancer, everyone needs to be more aware– please look for any changes that may be unusual for you – and get checked out early, it could save your life.”
The NHS initiative is being supported by David Day, 70 years old from Cambridge and Michael Sloane, 68 from Buckinghamshire who both were diagnosed with cancer after noticing blood in their pee.
David Day, from Cambridge, said: “As a bladder cancer survivor, I am a passionate advocate for being body aware and contacting your GP practice straight away if you notice changes in your body, such as blood in your pee. I am now able to live a normal life thanks to the quick diagnosis and treatment I received which is why I’m supporting the new partnership between the NHS and P-Wave. You know your body best – so please pay attention to any warning signs and get checked as soon as possible.”
Michael Sloane, from Buckinghamshire, said: “When I first noticed blood in my pee in 2013, I didn’t think it could be cancer. But, after a few days my wife urged me to contact my GP practice which led to my bladder cancer diagnosis. If it wasn’t for my wife, I’m not sure when I’d have contacted my doctor – so this new NHS initiative with P-Wave is such an important way to ensure men get the message that if they have blood in their pee, they really need to get it checked out. I’m so grateful that I sought help when I did, and now I work at Fight Bladder Cancer where I’m in a position where I can help highlight this vital sign of cancer to others.”
Dave Carson, P-Wave Managing Director, said: “We are proud to be working with NHS England on this first-of-its-kind partnership, which offers a creative yet simple way to convey a potentially life-saving cancer awareness message.
We are delighted that through our P-Wave urinal mats, we can encourage people to check for blood in their pee and to contact their GP practice if they spot it and are excited to share these with our customers and play a part in helping spread this important message.”
The NHS is harnessing the very latest technology and initiatives such as community lung health checks and trials of a blood test that can detect up to 50 cancers before symptoms appear, to diagnose cancer earlier and achieve its goal of diagnosing three quarters of all cancers at stage one or two by 2028.
The NHS is also accelerating the use of innovations like teledermatology for diagnosing skin cancer, which is already seeing some areas double the number of patients seen and speeding up diagnosis and treatment for tens of thousands with skin cancer.
For more information about cancer symptoms, visit nhs.uk/cancersymptoms.
For more about how NHS England works with partners on national campaigns, visit nhs.uk/campaign-partnerships/.