Contact your GP if you've had a cough for more than three weeks, say Shropshire health bosses

Now NHS leaders in the county have launched a campaign to encourage people with a cough that has lasted three weeks or more to contact their family doctor.

While health experts say a cough lasting for three weeks or more is probably nothing serious, it can be a sign of something that needs treatment. If it is cancer, finding it early means it is more treatable and can save lives.

County GP Dr Jess Harvey said: “The statistics are sobering. However, more than four in 10 cases of cancer could be prevented, largely through lifestyle changes such as not smoking, keeping a healthy bodyweight, eating a healthy balanced diet and cutting down on alcohol.

“It’s important to contact your GP if you have any concerns. Lung cancer is often treatable if caught early, and outcomes can be very positive for patients. I’d encourage anyone with worrying symptoms to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.”

They say that many people don’t realise that a cough for three weeks or more could be a sign of lung cancer and so it is vital that patients act on a persistent cough and don’t wait to see if it resolves on its own.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in England with around 39,990 cases diagnosed each year. Of those, around 89 per cent were aged 60 and above. In 2021, around 26,400 people died from lung cancer in England.

Visit www.nhs.uk/cancersymptoms for more information or contact your GP practice to make an appointment if you have concerns.