Sioned Williams writes about government’s role in preventing cases of skin cancer in Wales
This article was published in the Western Mail on Monday 2 June 2025.
Sunscreen, schools and preventative health care
It’s that time of year again when there’s one thing on people’s mind: What’s the weather going to be like?
Whether or not you’re a fan of the beach, the link between sunny skies and general wellbeing is undisputed.
It therefore seems particularly cruel that, although Wales tends to be less sunny than its closest neighbour England, we have a higher rate of skin cancer - one of the primary causes of which is exposure to UV from the sun.
It’s not just compared to England. Out of the four UK nations, Wales has the highest rate of skin cancer.
This matters because in 2019, skin cancers accounted for almost half of all cancers in Wales. While skin cancer is treatable and the survival rate is high, there’s a cost to this high diagnosis rate – to our health service, but also the worry and stress that a cancer diagnosis can bring to an individual and their loved ones.
It also matters, because skin cancer is almost entirely preventable, and therefore all that anxiety and cost to the NHS is also avoidable. It means that government really should have a better focus on skin cancer prevention.
The best way to practice good skin safety is staying out of the sun, but that’s not possible when you want to be out and about outdoors, so the next best thing is to regularly apply a suncream. Ideally you need suncream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 with a four-star or above UVA protection rating.
Because our weather is so unpredictable, that means applying it every day and for some families, especially given the cost of living crisis, this is simply too costly.
It also means making sure your children carry some with them, and making sure they understand when and how to apply it correctly.
This is where the Welsh Government could step in to help remove some of the barriers that might be stopping people practicing good skin safety.
May was Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and so in the Senedd last month, I asked Welsh Government to consider funding free sunscreen for schools, in much the same way as they’ve invested in improving access to menstrual products.
This would help create good habits among young children, relieve some of the costs for families, and in the long run, help prevent future cases of skin cancer from ever happening.