Suncream should be everywhere - cancer sufferer

Suncream should be publicly available "like hand sanitiser", a woman with stage four skin cancer has said.

Charlotte Killeya, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2020 and has campaigned to ensure children are aware of the risks of sun damage.

She has also called on the government to remove VAT on suncream and believes it should be available in many public spaces.

Ms Killeya said: "Some people can't afford suncream and I'm really passionate about trying to find ways we can make it available. It can be asking cafes and restaurants and bars if they've got outdoor areas, can they maybe put a dispenser out? We did that in Covid with hand sanitiser."

"It's not giving everybody a bottle of suncream, that's not the idea," she added.

"But it's saying, could there just be little dispensers about, or areas where if you think, 'I forgot my suncream', then it's there."

In June 2023, the Dutch government ran a scheme offering free sun protection in schools and universities, as well as at festivals, parks, sports venues and open public spaces.

Cities in Australia have run similar schemes, with the famous slogan "Slip, Slap, Slop".

Ms Killeya, who first discovered melanoma on her shoulder five years ago, said she believed her cancer may have been connected to a time her shoulders got sunburned at the beach as a child.

"You don't realise you can get burned on a cloudy day and I have. I got a blister sunburn as a child on a cloudy day at the seaside," she explained.

"Nobody else in my family got burned. I got burned on my shoulder - blistered sunburn. And my melanoma was there.

"Now, that could be a coincidence, but you never know."

In February, Ms Killeya completed two years of immunotherapy at Sheffield's Weston Park Hospital.

That followed more than five years of treatment for melanoma that had spread to her lungs, lymph nodes and brain.

Her cancer treatment led to rheumatoid arthritis and colitis.

Ms Killeya said her cancer had "caused a lot of life-changing things".

"But they've saved me. I wouldn't be here, without them. The oncology team are just amazing, and the hospital is somewhere where the nurses and receptionists know my name."

Ms Killeya now works with charity Melanoma Focus to raise awareness of the condition.

According to the charity, 54% of Sheffield residents suffer from sunburn at least once every year.

Meanwhile, 29% of people in Sheffield admit to rarely or never applying suncream during summer in the UK, the charity said.

Ms Killeya warned: "Five sunburns in your life can double your risk of melanoma. Enjoy the sun, but don't binge it.

"And if you find anything on your skin, go and get it checked out, because the sooner you go, the better."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said suncream was available on the NHS.

"High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is already provided VAT-free when dispensed by a pharmacist to these patients," they said.

"Too many cancer patients, including those with skin cancer, are waiting too long for treatment, and we are determined to change that as we shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention.

"Through our National Cancer Plan, we will look to improve all aspects of cancer care, reducing the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years."

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