The NHS are putting urinal mats in public places in to carry warnings for blood in pee as a sign of cancer in man. This is part of the NHS earlier diagnosis campaign.

In collaboration with P-Wave, the message “Blood in your pee? Contact your GP practice” will be put on urinal mats in thousands of men’s toilets across the country; in pubs, restaurants, shops, hotels and sports stadiums, as well as men’s workplaces.

Finding blood in your pee – even just once – is a common symptom for bladder, kidney or prostate cancers, which are all among the ten most prevalent cancers in the country, and generally affect men more than women.

Other common symptoms for bladder, kidney or prostate cancer include peeing very often, sudden urges to pee or a burning sensation when you pee, difficulty peeing, a lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs, or in your neck, or pain in the side between the ribs and the hip.

A new survey found that nearly half of men (46%) thought blood in pee was not a symptom of cancer. And 2 in 5 men surveyed said they would wait until they’ve noticed blood in their pee multiple times before seeing a GP. Also, 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 if they saw messaging on a urinal mat and were experiencing blood in their pee.

Read more in the NHS press release here