UK report calls for national strategy on UV protection amid rising skin cancer cases

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing has called for an improved approach to ultraviolet (UV) protection following the release of a new report examining UV safety in the UK.

Titled A Preventable Crisis: The Case for a National UV Safety Strategy, the report is based on a year-long inquiry into the health impacts of UV exposure and argues that the UK lacks a coordinated strategy to address UV-related harm.

The inquiry was first launched in May 2025 and is chaired by MP Carolyn Harris. Since then, it has gathered evidence from healthcare professionals, academics, manufacturers, industry representatives and individuals with lived experience.

Among its proposals is a reduction in VAT on sunscreen products, including zero VAT on children’s SPF 30+ sunscreen and a reduced 5% rate for adult sunscreen.

With the World Health Organization classifying UV radiation as a Group 1 carcinogen, the APPG argues sunscreen should be treated as a preventative healthcare product rather than a cosmetic item.

It comes as research conducted on behalf of Tesco found that 31% of parents said they could not always afford sun protection for their whole family.

With more than seven people dying from melanoma each day in the UK, other key statistics presented show that 86% of melanoma skin cancer cases and 90% of non-melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are considered preventable.

Melanoma incidence rates are also projected to rise by 9% by 2038, potentially resulting in around 26,500 new cases annually, while the estimated annual NHS cost of treating skin cancer is £750 million.

Elsewhere, the research highlights concerns around sunbed use, citing evidence that using sunbeds before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 59%.

Recommendations in the report include banning sunbed advertising, introducing graphic health warnings on machines and, “if safety standards do not improve”, considering a phased increase in the legal age for sunbed use.

In addition, the APPG is calling for UV radiation to be recognised as an occupational hazard, which would require employers to provide sun protection as mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) for outdoor workers.

It comes as research presented to the APPG found outdoor workers face a 60% higher risk of non-melanoma skin cancer than indoor workers.

The inquiry also recommends introducing mandatory UV safety education in schools, modelled on recent Government public health education initiatives.

It also proposes using the Online Safety Act to address misleading health claims on social media, including misinformation about “base tans” and sunscreen safety.

Carolyn Harris MP, Chair of the APPG on Beauty, Hair & Wellbeing, said: "We must stop short-term thinking about sun protection. For too long, we have relied on seasonal, holiday messaging that reinforces the dangerous myth that UV safety is only for the summer.

"We are calling on the Government to lead a sustained, national campaign - built on cross-party consensus - that mirrors the 40-year success of Australia’s 'Slip, Slop, Slap!' initiative."

Launched by Cancer Council in 1981, the 'Slip, Slop, Slap!' campaign is considered one of Australia’s most recognised public health initiatives and is widely associated with increased awareness and changes in sun protection behaviour over recent decades.