Despite the UK’s rainy climate, there is a one in six risk of developing skin cancer. Children, especially, should take extra care as severe sunburn as a youngster more than doubles the chance of developing skin cancer later on.
But new research my colleagues and I conducted shows that less than half of primary schools in Wales have a formal sun safety policy.
With skin cancer rates continuing to rise by 8% annually in England and Wales, it’s a problem that’s not going away and the disease now accounts for half of all cancers. In 2020 alone, the cost of treating skin cancer in England was estimated to be more than £180 million.
There is hope, though. It is estimated that around 90% of skin cancers are due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure from the sun. This means they can be prevented through safer behaviour.
