Just

NHS England, NHS Improvement and Public Health England are launching a campaign to encourage people who have spotted initial signs of cancer to visit their GP.
Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way that people access NHS services. A new survey conducted for NHS England has found that almost half (48%) of the public would delay or not seek medical advice. A fifth (22%) said this was because they did not want to burden the NHS. A similar proportion said that fear of getting coronavirus or passing it onto others was a major reason for not getting help.*
M&C Saatchi research showed that not going to the GP for fears of safety, or worries about overwhelming the NHS, has further reinforced the usual ‘excuses’ people tell themselves when they are reluctant to seek medical attention: “I’ll just see how it goes.”; “I’ll just leave it a week.”
This insight gave rise to the “Just” campaign, which aims to break down the barriers in the way of people getting important diagnoses.
In a TV spot and associated print, digital and social activity, a series of “Just” excuses are manifested as tattoos on the body on locations relevant to each symptom. This conceit answers the age-old health advertising problem of making the invisible, visible. The visual device doesn’t just bring to life the physical site of the symptom, but also the mental block that’s getting in the way of having it checked out.
The NHS has introduced a range of measures to ensure the safety of patients, including Covid-secure wards, Covid-protected cancer surgical hubs, and phone and digital consultations. This campaign will reassure the public and address the barriers that are deterring patients accessing the NHS across priority conditions.