Movember-style male health campaigns are failing to make men take their wellbeing seriously, as nearly half still resist going to the doctor, new research suggests.

The arrival of November traditionally sees social media flooded with pictures of men with specially grown moustaches as part of a drive to raise awareness of male health issues.

However, despite the campaign raising £10 million in the UK last year, a survey by Bupa has found a large proportion of the male population are still worryingly cavalier about health.

The health provider found 48% of the 2,000 men interviewed would only seek medical health if they absolutely had to, despite warnings that such an attitude could prove fatal.

Nearly half of men admitted keeping health problems to themselves, while 45% said they had previously hoped the issue would simply “go away”.

Eight out of 10 men would similarly choose to endure an illness or ailment rather than seeking health, Bupa found, suggesting this approach was “the norm”.

Perhaps most alarmingly, 39% of men would let symptoms get to the point where the pain was unbearable before they chose to make an appointment with their GP.

“Although campaigns such as Movember are doing a brilliant job at raising awareness and tackling the stigma around men’s health, it is clear from our research that men are still struggling to open up about their health,” said Dr Naveen Puri, a lead physician at Bupa Health Clinics.