Coughing bus shelter put up in Ayr

Placed in Ayr’s town centre, anyone using it will have their attention drawn to the advert by the sound of a man coughing.

This is followed by the voice of a woman urging people to visit their doctor if they have had a cough for three weeks or more.

Aimed at alerting people to the symptoms of lung cancer, the shelter is a novel part of Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early health campaign.

The advert also carries the image of a middle-aged man coughing, with the strap-line: “Don’t get scared, get checked”.

Welcoming the shelter’s message, Dr Hugh Brown, NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Primary Care Cancer Lead, said: “One reason patients are often diagnosed late is that they are unaware of the symptoms of lung cancer.

“I hope this makes a huge impression and helps get the message across to people in Ayrshire that it’s important if you, or someone you know, has had a cough for three weeks or more, it’s time to get it checked out.

“It’s probably nothing to worry about, but it could be a sign of lung cancer.”