Coughing bus shelter put up in Ayr

RESIDENTS of Ayr are the recipients of Scotland’s first “coughing” bus shelter.

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.”