NHS calls for people to cover up in sun as skin cancer deaths in Hampshire rise

The south east of England is above the national average for the number of deaths related to malignant melanoma having risen by 36 per cent between 2005 and 2014.

In Hampshire, the number of deaths has risen from 43 in 2005 to 66 in 2014.

NHS England Wessex medical director, Dr Elizabeth Mearns, said: ‘Skin cancer deaths are still rising in Hampshire.

‘It’s crucial to cover up from the sun – not just for yourself but also your family.’

Research indicates that men are worse at protecting themselves from the sun.

A YouGov survey, commissioned by Cancer Research UK, found that more than 50 per cent more men than women forget to protect their skin and 75 per cent more men than women are not worried about getting sunburnt.

The latest statistics from Cancer Research show since the late 1970s, skin cancer incidence rates have more than quadrupled in the UK.