So in the early stages it is up to you to protect yourself with high factor sunscreen, restricted exposure and clothing cover. Early checks of any moles of doubtful origin are important and can be obtained fairly easily. For a start ‘Superdrug’ who have a pharmacy on most high streets are opening ‘mole clinics’ for just such a purpose, and it is likely that other appropriate retail outlets will follow suit.

If you are one of the careless or unlucky ones and you have skin cancer which has advanced beyond the early stages without being discovered, then if you have Critical Illness Insurance you will at least have shed some worries. You will have enough to think about without also having to concern yourself with, for example, financial problems.

So you need to check the small print and make sure that you are absolutely clear as to what you are covered for – skin cancer (even if critical) could be on the ‘not covered’ list. You also need to be certain that you have provided the insurance company with a note detailing any conditions existing before the policy commences; this needs to cover every item which could have even the remotest connection with any insured condition. They are providing your cover and you cannot expect them to do this without the fullest possible information.

Finally, make sure you keep up the payments. Failure to pay must be the surest way to terminate the agreement, and could provide a nasty shock at the worst possible time.