The problem has been exacerbated by the increase in the number of people taking holidays in hotter climates than they are used to. Whilst it should never be assumed that exposure to the sun is too limited in this country to have a serious effect, the problem increases vastly in areas where the sun is much nearer to overhead. Combine this with longer hours of sunshine and the danger becomes obvious.

The emphasis now is, as it should be, on prevention. Clothing cover and sun creams are recommended, especially for children, with reduced mid-day exposure a must. In case these precautions prove to be inadequate, good critical illness cover could prove to be a blessing.

However, it pays to read the small print. It is fairly certain that any policy will have some very clear definitions, and treatable conditions are not now regarded as critical illness. This would appear to be reasonable. Skin cancer can be deadly; 1800 deaths a year and rising are proof of this, with experts predicting that this figure will double within 10 years.

No one would expect fire insurance to cover them for just a piece of paper going up in flames, so why should they expect that critical illness cover should provide treatment for non-critical i.e. curable illness. A skin cancer melanoma found early enough can be dealt with and there is a good chance of success