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This article was published on April 25th, 2019
Many individuals pursue the perfect tan, that glowing look that you get when you’ve been on holiday. However, many are turning to sunbeds in their bid to achieve their desired bronze look.
As many leading medical organisations and charities have illustrated, sunbeds can be extremely harmful to those who use them.
Melanoma UK has been a leading organisation in highlighting how dangerous sunbeds can be and in July 2018, they launched a petition to ban sunbeds in the UK, a ban which Australia has already imposed successfully, with the aim of saving lives as well as funds for the NHS.
After receiving over 10,000 signatures, the petition has now been put forward for a response from the government and the issue was debated in Westminster Hall on February 13th.
The debate was led by Pauline Latham who is the chair of the Melanoma Taskforce, which meets regularly in Westminster along with other charities and medical professionals.
The harmful UV rays that sunbeds emit increase the risk of suffering Melanoma, a type of cancer which we here at Thorneycroft Solicitors feel passionate about.
Paula Bridge, our Head of Clinical Negligence is a trustee for the charity Melanoma UK and as such Cancer claims are a particular speciality.
We have proudly supported Melanoma UK for several years and will continue to do so.
The petition is now live once again and you can support it by clicking here.
Cancer Research UK highlight that Sunbeds give out harmful ultraviolet (UV)Â rays that can cause damage to a person’s skin, leaving it wrinkled, older and leathery. However, the damage can be much more severe as the UV rays also have the potential to damage the cells within the skin, which can develop over time into skin cancer.
The British Association of Dermatologists believe that the current laws and regulations surrounding sunbeds, which include a ban on any person under the age of 18 using a sunbed or sunshower need to go further.
Among the changes they want to see are, a restriction on the number o times an adult can use a sunbed or sun shower in order to prevent over-exposure and evidence that all sunbeds and sunshowers are monitored and that they comply with British Safety Standards.
The NHS has also issued advice, highlighting the dangers of sunbeds, sun lamps and sun showers, revealing that the harmful UV rays may not show any symptoms of the damage caused for up to 20 years and that prolonged exposure puts you at an increased risk of developing the most serious type of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.
Cancer will affect approximately one in three people in the UK at some point in their lives.
A correct and swift diagnosis is essential to ensure that cancer can be treated quickly and efficiently.
Whilst the NHS and private health care providers provide the correct treatment in the majority of cancer cases, there are times when things go wrong.
Delayed cancer treatment or misdiagnosis can lead to devastating consequences and if you or a loved one have been affected by cancer negligence then you may be eligible to make a claim for compensation.
Our Clinical Negligence team focus on taking an empathetic approach to each client’s case, ensuring they get the emotional support and physical treatment both the client and their family need in order to achieve the best possible outcome.
As well as supporting the charity, Melanoma UK, we also work with leading medico-legal experts during the claims process in order to ensure that we give the best possible advice to our clients, whether it be advice about their claim or medical treatment they may need following the cancer negligence.
If you would like to speak to a member of our medical negligence team to discuss a potential cancer negligence claim or have questions about the claims process, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0800 1979 345 or alternatively you can complete our online enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to yo at a time that is more suitable for you.
