Toothpaste to warn of cancer symptoms in new NHS drive
Toothpaste tubes will carry symptoms of cancer, in a bid to get more people to seek help earlier.
A partnership between the NHS and Asda will provide advice which warns of the signs of mouth cancer, and encourages people to contact their GP or dentist.
The new packaging on toothpaste and mouthwash will warn users to seek help if a mouth ulcer lasts three weeks or more. It will also provide a link to more detailed NHS information about mouth and throat cancer.
"What is it now Angus?"
"Well Doctor Finlay, the fancy new toothpaste I bought at the shop in the village told me I should make an appointment with you as soon as possible."
10 comments:
The NHS should keep their overfunded heads below the parapet before they mention dentistry. We're being held to ransom and forced to go private or do without by the lack of NHS dentists.
Make it universal for all packaging, and we can dispense with the services of the GP. Wine labels will send you direct to the alcohol dependency unit. Your new sofa will direct you to the weight loss clinic. IKEA self-assembly instructions will tell you how you ought to go to A&E.
One of the things about modern life that irritates me is the touching belief of the bureaucracy that merely posting a message or displaying a sign is enough to achieve behavioural change. Repeated signs that rudeness to staff 'are not acceptable' drive me to distraction.
I wonder if new hospitals are built to allow wall space for all the wallboard messages to be displayed, or (worse still) 'active displays' of nothing remotely important.
Well, here's a hint for all those displays, hectoring package designs, and abandoned roadworks signs. They only work once and repetition achieves nothing. Every bureaucrat should be required to take (at least) one sign down before putting a new one up.
The Stupid really burns. Horror piccies on the side of cigarette packets because smoking is bad for you. Horror piccies on tubes of toothpaste because cleaning your teeth....
Jannie - a lot of people seem to be in that position. Mrs H knows someone who went to the same NHS dentist for several decades, but when the dentist retired she was told she couldn't just transfer to a dentist in the same practice, she had to go private.
Sam - eventually the packaging could talk to us via our mobile phone, becoming far easier to contact than the GP and capable of contacting other bits of packaging for a second opinion.
DJ - I agree, I once tried to count the number of notices visible in a hospital waiting area, but gave it up because as soon as I moved I saw lots more. They do love their notices.
decnine - we could eventually see horror piccies on car instrument displays when we go 1mph over the speed limit, lurid images of mangled cars.
"the lack of NHS dentists" Caused by that nice Mr Blair's government. On many a blog I have asked whether any readers know why Blair had an animus against NHS dentistry. Answer came there none.
dearieme - some retired dentists might know.
Hospitals aren't alone when going notice crazy. I used to travel through London railway stations, and used to think whilst using Liverpool Street, that they were using the 'pig's breakfast' type of layout.
Er, no. All new cars will have speed limiters very soon, linked to the mapping system, so you won’t be able to go 1 mph above the speed limit anyway.
Tammly - they must think people read them, but I'm sure it's casual glances at most. Reminds me of yellow roadside notices with black text warning people about road closures on certain dates and between certain times. We'd have to stop the car to read them properly.
Peter - good point. I hear we'll be able to switch it off which probably means it will invalidate our insurance if we do and come back on again every time we start the car.
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