More than a quarter of Britons (26%), or the equivalent of nearly 14 million people, have delayed visiting their doctor over something they consider to be embarrassing, a survey has suggested.
The poll of 2,250 people by health company Essity also found more than a fifth (21%) who did delay were later diagnosed with a health condition.
The average delay in accessing medical support was 27 days, yet one in 10 (12%) had delayed visiting a doctor by more than two years, it added.
Embarrassment over bladder and bowel issues was one of the most common reasons for putting off seeing a doctor, with 42% of those polled admitting to having never visited their GP to discuss concerns related to these areas. This was despite the NHS estimating that between three and six million people in the UK are living with some form of incontinence-related issue.
Worryingly, people were often self-diagnosing or Googling symptoms instead of getting expert medical advice, the survey concluded.
GP hesitancy
Nearly half of those polled (45%) said they ‘often’ self-diagnosed whether symptoms were serious or not based on online advice (for example the NHS website or a site such as WedMD).
Nearly half (49%) of those who had used an online platform had then opted not to speak with their GP after researching their symptoms online.
Jane Mayes, clinical consultant at Essity, said: “Our research has found that the embarrassment we can often feel around our toilet habits is leading to potentially concerning symptoms going unnoticed, left or medical support not being accessed when it should be.
“Equally, we’re seeing an increase in the number of people – particularly younger people – who are deciding whether or not to speak to their GP based on information they can find online,” she added.
