Making washrooms men’s health wellness centres

DIAGNOSING CANCER early means it is easier to treat and can save lives, which is why the NHS chose to collaborate with P-Wave, urging men to be aware of changes in their bodies and to contact their GP practice if they notice symptoms that could be a sign of cancer. 

We were proud to be chosen to work with NHS England on this first-of-its-kind partnership, which offers a creative yet simple way to literally put a potentially life-saving cancer awareness message in front of men. We are delighted to be able to make the washroom a centre for wellbeing and put a focus on men’s health awareness. It is great to think that with 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.

Passing blood in urine – 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.

Supporting an essential men’s health initiative

One current example of a leading UK facilities management company embracing the initiative is Sodexo UK & Ireland and phs Group who together are supporting the NHS and helping to spread this important men’s health message in thousands of washrooms nationwide.

“Sodexo is a long-time customer of phs Group," said phs Group head of marketing Kelly Greenaway. "We supply hygiene services to them at sites across the country including corporate offices, hospitals, military bases, government offices, manufacturing facilities. We were aware that Sodexo had been talking to P-Wave about using the NHS England branded urinal mats and are pleased that together we are enabling the mats to be used at their client sites across the UK.

“Supporting this essential men’s health initiative could really make an impact and potentially save lives, and we are actively marketing and supplying P-Wave’s NHS branded urinal mats to many of our other customers. phs Group has 120,000 customers at over 300,000 locations across the UK, so the more men we can reach with this message, the better.

“Sodexo is proud to support this crucial NHS England men’s health initiative,” says Kevin Muckle, head of cleaning, Sodexo UK & Ireland. “As soon as we saw this urinal mat option, we knew we just had to install them in our washrooms nationwide, to support this important NHS campaign. Our hygiene supplies partner phs Group has enabled this initiative and gone the extra mile by creating support materials to ensure that as many men as possible are prompted into taking early action.”

Ongoing success for men’s health campaign 

The NHS England campaign has been a great success and sees no signs of slowing, with over 600,000 urinal mats carrying the NHS message expected to be placed in venues from pubs, restaurants and offices, to shopping malls and sports stadiums nationwide by the end of the year. The collaborative support for the partnership from Sodexo and phs Group will ensure this important message reaches more venues nationwide.

We are delighted that phs Group and Sodexo have recognised the importance of this NHS early cancer awareness campaign. 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 message, and encourage other businesses to get involved.

Encouraging earlier diagnosis  

Dame Cally Palmer, NHS England national director for cancer, said: “Cancer survival is at an all-time high, and we’re seeing more cancers than ever before being picked up at an early stage. This partnership is just one of the many ways we are helping people to be aware of possible cancer symptoms. 

“Having blood in your pee, even just once, shouldn’t be ignored. If you notice something isn’t right and any changes that may be unusual for you, please visit your GP.”

NHS research shows that just over half of men in England use a public urinal at least once a week, while 71% said they would be more likely to contact their GP if prompted by a urinal mat after noticing blood in their pee. Additionally, 64% would view a workplace or venue more favourably if it displayed health-promoting messages in washrooms.

According to new analysis from NHS England, almost three million people were seen for an urgent cancer check over the last 12 months, and the number being tested has increased by more than a quarter compared with the same period before the pandemic.

Focusing on men’s health in the washroom 

“Because of our reach, phs Group is an organisation that can drive real change and innovation,” continued Kelly Greenaway. “For the last two years we've been working with Prostate Cancer UK to create a campaign called Dispose with Dignity, to support men dealing with male incontinence, ensuring they have what they need to dispose of their incontinence products behind the cubicle door. Specifying, supplying and installing the NHS-branded urinal mats from P-Wave is a natural progression from this programme.

“Social value has become such a big part of large organisations DNA. Many of our key customers, such as Sodexo and Balfour Beatty have strong ESG strategies, and really understand social value, so creating a safe place and focusing on men’s health is extremely important to them.”

Taking the NHS message into high-end hospitality

First launched into pubs, restaurants and offices – with brightly coloured Slant6 screens with popular fragrances such as Honeysuckle, Ocean Mist, Cucumber & Melon and Cotton Blossom – the NHS message was also added to Trough Screens, taking it into stadiums and large venues. 

In October, P-Wave launched a new Slant6 Midnight Coast limited edition urinal screen, aimed at high-end hospitality, which also features NHS England’s important men’s health message.

The black urinal screen allows guests to indulge in a refreshing aquatic fragrance, balanced with green palm leaves, fruity and floral hints, all layered over driftwood and white musk. The urinal screen allows guests to indulge in a refreshing aquatic fragrance, balanced with green palm leaves, fruity and floral hints, all layered over driftwood and white musk.

We thought that high-end hospitality deserved something special and the new stylish black Slant6 Midnight Coast limited edition delivers a unique fragrance which is already receiving rave reviews. And while they enjoy the luxury, they will also be reminded of an important NHS cancer awareness message – because even in a 5-star washroom, health matters.

Mark Wintle is P-Wave’s brand manager from Robert Scott.​

For more information, visit: www.p-wave.co.uk/nhs