Patients might have noticed something a little odd about some of the doctors at Kilmeny Surgery as they confessed to contracting Mo-madness.

Three doctors and the group practice manager decided to spend a month growing and grooming moustaches in different shapes and sizes, to raise money for the men’s health awareness charity — Movember — named after the month it takes place in.

Driving force behind the charity stunt Dr Brendan Kennedy recruited fellow “Mo-Bros” Dr David Gopal, Dr Andrew Parsons and practice manager Jeremy Pullan to cultivate their facial hair for the cause too.

Female staff, or “Mo-Sisters”, also took part and wore false moustaches. Personal service advisor Sue Scott and Dr Gopal were given Mo-Awards for the best moustaches at a Mo-Fundraising Party.

The Movember campaign coincides with the launch of the Kilmeny Group Medical Practice Men’s Health Drop-in Clinic, which will begin next month on Mondays, from 5.30-7.30pm.

Dr Kennedy said: “Men are generally more reluctant to come to the surgery and more likely to put off diagnosis.

“Growing moustaches for Movember has been a bit of fun and has raised money for charity but there is also a serious message — to encourage men to get health checks and increase earlier diagnosis of the biggest killer of young men, testicular cancer, and also of prostate cancer.”

Dr Parsons said he had never grown a beard or moustache until this Movember campaign.

He said: “It is itchy and I feel very self-conscious, my wife and daughter hate it and keep telling me to shave it off.

“We are on our way to raising nearly £500, sponsored by family, friends and patients. We plan to do it again next year and encourage other practices to get involved.”

Dr Gopal said he had noticed more people than usual laugh at him when they saw him and said: “My wife won’t kiss me with it but I am thinking of keeping it and having different styles and maybe a moustache extension for Christmas.” Chris Bradley, men’s health team leader, running the sessions, said that research into why men put off visiting the doctor suggested two conflicting ideas. “One is that they are too macho and the other idea is that they don’t go to their GPs because they are too scared of what might happen next,” he said.