Although the training is available to anyone, the CEO of UK charity Skcin, Marie Tudor, said these professionals are uniquely placed to see early indications of the disease on their clients’ skin,
‘They are trusted professionals who can provide supportive advice and signpost clients to medical care, helping promote early diagnosis, improve outcomes and ultimately save lives,’ she said.
Public Health has partnered with the charity to offer 10 free places to anyone who wants to complete the online course. After those places are taken, anyone who enrols before the end of May will be able to access this training at a reduced rate.
Guernsey beauty therapist Racheal Day, pictured, has already complete the Masced – Melanoma and Skin Cancer Early Detection – course. She said it had given her much more confidence in recognising changes in people’s skin that might need medical attention.
‘It’s helped me understand what to look out for and how to have those conversations with clients in a supportive way,’ she said. ‘Knowing I could help someone spot something and encourage them to get it checked really shows how valuable this training is.’
Guernsey has a much higher rate of skin cancer diagnoses than the UK, and sees some 95% more new cases annually.
‘Recent statistics from the Guernsey and Alderney Wellbeing Survey show that people are being sunburned more now than they were 10 years ago,’ said Diane Mathews, strategic screening lead for Public Health.
‘This paints a very concerning picture and reinforces why spotting skin changes early is such a crucial step in preventing serious disease’
n Anyone interested should email publichealth@gov.gg to apply for a place on the course.
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