National Skin Cancer Awareness month in May aims to raise awareness of the rising cases and causes of skin cancer. Even though organisations such Skcin.org continue to educate the public about the risks of sun damage and melanoma, figures analysed by The British Association of Dermatologists revealed that skin cancer cases have hit a record high in England. Furthermore, Cancer Research UK has reported 16,700 new melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK every year with 2,300 (that’s more than 6 a day!) ending in death.
The figures are a stark reminder as we head in to the sunnier months, that we must all stay vigilant about protecting our skin from the damaging effects of UV.
Checking your skin health
At Dr Malaika Clinics, we are passionate about skin health and our patient’s safety. To help raise awareness and join in the fight against skin cancer, we offered free dermatoscope mole checks throughout May. The response we received for this, was very sobering. Patient stories of how difficult it has been for them to see their GP, have been eye opening.
In May, we referred 8 out of 43 patients to their GP for further investigation. Of these, one had an immediate referral to dermatology.
Giving people in the local community the tools not just to examine themselves for signs of skin cancer, but also keep their skin protected all year round, has been incredibly rewarding. Being actively involved in alleviating some of the pressure on the NHS, is an added bonus. Book in for a mole check if you are at all worried, or would just like peace of mind.
Costs to our NHS
The demands on the NHS don’t appear to be easing off any time soon. Recent figures show that there’s a 75% increased risk in those who have used sun-beds before the age of 35. This is a worrying statistic considering that one in 10 UK adults are still regular sun-bed users.
As published in May, an extensive study conducted by the University of Manchester supported a ban on sun-beds. This research showed that a ban could see 1,206 fewer cases of melanoma and 206 fewer deaths. This in turn could save the NHS £700,000!
This study has not prompted any action by the government as of yet. With an already over-stretched NHS struggling to do basic checks such as the ones we are offering, these figures are hard to ignore.
When you book an appointment with us, you can rest assured that our continuous efforts to campaign for skin that not only looks great, but is healthy and protected too, means you are in the safest hands possible.
